Recuperating Egan Bernal set for further surgery

Two-time Grand Tour winner Egan Bernal is due to undergo further 'minor' operations after having spinal surgery following a horror crash in his native Colombia on Monday, but is said to be in good spirits.

The 25-year-old, winner of the 2019 Tour de France, has been in the intensive care unit of the Clinica Universidad de La Sabana in Bogota since colliding with a stationary bus earlier this week.

Bernal suffered fractured vertebrae, broke his right femur, right patella and ribs, and also suffered chest trauma and a punctured lung in the incident.

A statement released by the hospital overnight said Bernal is now due to have further surgery but added that he is making good progress, having had medication used to treat low blood pressure withdrawn.

"Egan Bernal Gomez has continued with the expected recovery and with a favourable trend," the statement said.

"Egan continues with his rehabilitation plan, he has not shown signs of infection, he is also in good spirits and thanks to his improvement his vasopressor medication was withdrawn.

"In addition to communicating his good state of health, we inform that at this time the patient is in a regeneration or tertiary trauma period.

"Therefore, tomorrow he will have two surgeries, which are secondary procedures that are not life-threatening.

"The first is an osteosynthesis of a fracture to the second metacarpal of the right hand, which will be performed by the hand surgery team. The second is a maxillo-facial to manage dentoalveolar fractures in his mouth."

Bernal’s Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Brandon Rivera is now also receiving treatment at the same hospital after suffering a fractured and dislocated elbow in a training crash on Thursday.