An accident even before his first race compromises the season of Egan Bernal, the Colombian climber of the Ineos team, who intended to return to the Tour de France next summer to win it, three years after his first success.
An impact in training on Monday against the back of a bus which had stopped suddenly changed the year of the only Colombian winner of the Tour.
In his country, he had to be operated on for several fractures. Several vertebrae were affected, as well as the right femur and the patella; injuries severe enough to pose a question mark over his next few months.
“After the intervention on six vertebrae, the neurological integrity was maintained and the functionality of the affected segments was preserved,” the Colombian doctors announced, stating that his mobility and nervous system were not affected.
His team, Ineos, for its part made it known on Twitter Tuesday that the cyclist “remained in intensive care but in stable condition after undergoing two successful operations” to “fix his right leg and stabilize his fractured vertebra”. “We remain focused on ensuring that Egan receives the best care possible as he begins the journey of his recovery,” adds Ineos.
How will Bernal recover from this stop two weeks before his resumption of competition, which was scheduled for February 10 at the Tour de La Provence? The nature of his injuries is still cause for concern.
In June 2019, the Briton Chris Froome, who then wore the colors of the British formation, had suffered a very serious accident, in particular a fracture of a femur. Nearly three years later, the four-time Tour winner is still desperately trying to get back to the top.
But, doctors willingly recall, in the circumstances, each case is unique.
Eclipsed Star
At 25, an anniversary he celebrated on January 13, Bernal is still only in the first part of a career that began with flying colors.
For his second season at the highest level, he won the Tour de France in 2019, a feat that no rider from his country had accomplished before him, no more the illustrious Lucho Herrera in the 1980s than Nairo Quintana, 2and in 2013 and 2015.
A gifted climber, endowed with great racing intelligence and skilled in the art of placement, Bernal then won another big tour, the Giro 2021, without showing any weakness.
His star was eclipsed, however, by the irresistible rise of the Slovenians Primoz Roglic and especially Tadej Pogacar, who dominated him on several occasions. Mainly in the Tour de France 2020, which Bernal left before the end (non-runner in the 17and stage).
Ineos, who want to become the number one team in the peloton again, have bet on this great talent by offering him a long-term contract until the end of 2026. “These will be my best years and I want to spend this time with this team”, had then underlined the runner.
This year, the British formation was determined to build its team for the Tour around him, surrounding him with top-level riders and climbers. With the conviction that Bernal, highly respected by his opponents, remains a first-rate rider, his first asset despite the qualities of other members of his squad who have already made the podium in grand tours (Richard Carapaz, Geraint Thomas, Tao Geoghegan Hart , Richie Porte).