Egan Bernal leaves intensive care as recovery from 20 fractures continues
'I almost killed myself, but you know what? I am grateful to God for putting me through this test' says Colombian
Egan Bernal will move from an intensive care unit to a regular hospital ward in the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana in Bogotá Colombia, as he continues to recover from the multiple fractures and injuries he sustained in a collision with a bus during training.
On Friday, Bernal revealed he suffered 20 fractures and admitted: “I almost killed myself.” Yet he also posted a photo of himself in the hospital and concluded: “I'm back!! And let's rock.”
Bernal was rushed to the hospital on January 24 after colliding into the back of a stationary bus while training on his time trial bike with Ineos Grenadiers teammates in the Cundinamarca area of Colombia.
The initial medical report detailed a long list of injuries, including damage to the thoracic and cervical sections of his spine. He underwent spine surgery, after other separate procedures to address fractures to his femur, kneecap, and ribs and a collapsed lung.
On Instagram, Bernal listed the 20 fractures he suffered, including 11 ribs and he confirmed he also perforated both lungs.
“I almost killed myself, but you know what? I am grateful to God for putting me through this test. It is going to be the toughest race, but I have had a group of excellent people around me,” Bernal wrote in his Instagram post.
“Yesterday I had my last major surgery and everything seems to have gone well. So now to recover and make this another... I'M BACK!! And let's rock.”
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The Clínica Universidad de La Sabana revealed that Bernal will leave intensive care in its latest medical update, adding that Bernal has not suffered any complications after three different surgeries.
"In light of his improvement and his constant evolution, Egan can leave the ICU," the update said.
“The response to pain management improved and there were no complications. We remain focused on his treatment and condition.”
Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.