Ineos Grenadiers have confirmed in a medical update Thursday that Egan Bernal has made significant progress in his recovery and rehabilitation from a life-threatening collision with a stopped bus just over three weeks ago. However, the team have stated that there is no definitive time line for his return to training.
"Egan is making great progress at home and working with a local rehab clinic where his recovery is going well. At present our medical staff have not set a definitive timeline for when we should expect to see him back on his bike," read a new medical update from Ineos Grenadiers.
"For the time being he will remain in Colombia until his progression has reached a satisfactory level for him to return to his European base."
The Clínica Universidad de La Sabana, where Bernal underwent surgeries and medical treatment following the collision, stated last Monday that Bernal's post-operative days looked favourable and that being able to walk without help was one of the first goals of his rehabilitation, but noted that it could take up to eight weeks.
Bernal was released from hospital last week to begin his rehabilitation and recovery from 20 different fractures at home in Colombia. He has since provided several updates regarding his recovery progress on Instagram including an image of himself standing with a back brace followed by a video of himself taking his first post-operative steps.
On Wednesday, Bernal posted a video of himself riding a recumbent stationary bike with a caption that read, "Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something." Indeed, Bernal has, so far, exceeded the expectations of his rehabilitation team.
On January 24, Bernal crashed into the back of a stopped bus while training on his bike near his home in Colombia with several Ineos Grenadiers teammates.
Ineos Grenadiers team confirmed in a medical update at that time that Bernal suffered fractured vertebrae, a fractured right femur, a fractured right patella, chest trauma, a punctured lung and several fractured ribs in the crash.
He underwent treatment and recovery at the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana after a complex but successful spinal surgery, along with surgeries to correct the fractures to his knee, femur, metacarpal in his right hand and to manage dentoalveolar fractures in his mouth, according to a medical update from the hospital.
Bernal made his first public statement in a post on social media on February 4, when he also published a photo from his hospital bed.
He said that he had almost died and had a 95 per cent chance of becoming paraplegic. He spoke of feeling ‘reborn’ and has paid tribute to doctors for giving him a ‘second chance’.
