The former Tour de France winner Egan Bernal will make his return to racing at the Tour of Denmark on Tuesday, eight months after the career-threatening crash while training in Colombia.
Bernal, 25, was left with 20 fractures, including in his spine, femur and kneecap, after hitting a stationary bus while riding at 40mph on his time trial bike in January.
He was considered lucky to have survived and doctors initially warned there was a high likelihood he could be paralysed as a result of his injuries, but he has made rapid progress since beginning his rehabilitation. “After what happened to me in January this has been the moment I’ve been waiting for – to race with my teammates again,” Bernal said. “I can’t emphasise enough how hard the last eight months have been for me, both physically and mentally.
That day, and the journey that I have been on since will be a part of me forever, it’s something you never forget. “As is the support that I have received from my family, my girlfriend, the team, Ineos, as well as my fans.