Egan Bernal: Ineos Grenadiers star to skip Vuelta a Andalucia due to knee injury - 'No point risking it'

Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) will miss the Vuelta a Andalucia this week as he battles to overcome his latest injury. The 26-year-old, who has endured an injury nightmare since winning the Giro d'Italia in 2021, withdrew from the Vuelta a San Juan in January with a knee complaint and also missed the Colombian Championships.

Ad It was hoped he would recover in time for the five-stage race in Spain, which starts on Wednesday, but he will now give it a miss and reportedly target Paris-Nice in March. CyclingBernal confident for season after pulling out of road race championship due to injury03/02/2023 AT 19:43 An Ineos Grenadiers spokesperson told Cyclingnews: «Egan’s left knee is still not 100% race ready following his crash in San Juan, and much as he’d like to race there is no point risking its recovery.

»We’re optimistic about him being back racing in the next couple of weeks." Last month, Bernal opened up to Eurosport about his extraordinary battle to return to bike racing following a horror crash in his native Colombia in January 2022. Balsamo signs contract extension with Trek-Segafredo until 2026 — 'Challenge accepted' Pogacar decimates field to win Jaen Paraiso Interior and kick off season in style He suffered 20 different fractures – including in his spine, femur and kneecap – after smashing into a stationary bus at 40mph on his time trial bike, leaving him requiring multiple surgeries and significant medical treatment.

Bernal made an incredible return to the peloton at the Tour of Denmark in August – less than seven months after the crash he says nearly killed him – and is now targeting a return to the Tour de France, where he won the title in 2019. «I spent many hours in the operating theatre.