Egan Bernal brings 2022 season to early close for routine operation

Ineos Grenadiers star Egan Bernal has opted to scratch part of his program of late-season events in favour of a routine operation on his knee, according to a report in La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

The 2019 Tour de France champion is currently on the comeback trail after his life-threatening training crash in Colombia this January. Bernal began racing again this summer at the Tour of Denmark before lining out at the Deutschland Tour, which he abandoned on the last stage of each event. His last race was the one-day Coppa Sabatini last week, where he finished 28th.

Bernal was slated to ride the Memorial Pantani last weekend, which was cancelled because of bad weather, before heading to the CRO Race next week. The Ineos Grenadiers rider was then due to complete his year at Il Lombardia on October 8th.

Having now reportedly cancelled his participation in these races and with a return to Colombia on the cards, however, Bernal’s  2022 season has come apparently to an end.

According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, the operation is a routine one on the knee that was injured in the accident, known as joint cleaning, or to use medical jargon, ‘arthroscopic lavage’. This is the removal and cleaning out of loose debris and/or blood fluid from inside a joint space.

Cyclingnews has reached out to Ineos Grenadiers for a reaction.