Former Tour de France winner Egan Bernal spoke for the first time four days after his serious training accident in his native Colombia and described the seriousness of his situation after the crash. Accordingly, the 25-year-old narrowly missed a life in a wheelchair.
“I had a 95 percent chance of staying paraplegic or even losing my life doing what I love to do most,” the statement said. “I want to thank God and all the specialists that they made the impossible possible.”
Bernal had undergone two surgeries at La Sabana University Hospital and was in intensive care after colliding with a bus during training on Monday. The professional from the Ineos Grenadiers team suffered fractures to a vertebra, the right thigh, the right kneecap and several ribs as well as a lung injury.