Twelve months ago, Egan Bernal won the most important race of his life. On January 24, 2022, a few days after his 25th birthday, The Colombian collided with a parked bus while training on the roads of Cundinamarca and almost lost his life. His accident shook the world of cycling, which over the days witnessed a miraculous recovery.
Stop “95% probability of being paraplegic” to the illusion of winning the Tour de France again. This Friday, January 13, 2023, 354 days after the crash, Egan celebrates his 26th birthday with the desire to recover his best version and return to the top of the sport. Fighting for the title in Paris, his great illusion.
“I have faith that the season can start and if everything goes well I would like to return to the Tour. Try and do the best possible, try to do the general and arrive in good shape. I have 9 or 10 months to try to get well. Mentally I feel prepared and physically I have done very well”said the Ineos Grenadiers boss in an interview with Caracol Radio in October, eight weeks after his return to official competition.
In the midst of its fine-tuning, between August and September of last year, he ran the Tour of Denmark, the Tour of Germany, the Giro della Toscana and the Coppa Sabattini. Later she returned to the country to routine surgery on the right knee and later he started his preparation for 2023. 2022 could not with Egan Bernal.
Vingegaard and Pogacar wait for Egan
The Danish and the Slovenian, champion and runner-up of the last Tour de France, They want to compete against the Colombian in a new edition of the Grande Boucle. After what happened in 2022, they are emerging as the main candidates to win the French race.
“It would be really cool to race with Evenepoel, I can’t wait for that moment. But don’t forget about Roglic and Bernal. All of us together in a Grand Tour, I’m already excited. I want to compete against the best. If I win, it will only make my victory shine.”Jonas Vingegaard noted.
Tadej Pogacar, for his part, said in Cyclingtips: “I hope that next year Egan returns. So we have a really big field of competitors of the same level as They will have a very close battle for the Tour de France”.
The accident was behind. It is time to dream and excite. “My son. Today and always I bless your life. your reborn Love you”. The message of Flor Marina Gómez -her mother- for Egan Bernal, who turns 26 and begins the year of the resurrection.