After making a remarkable recovery from a training ride crash which nearly killed him, Egan Bernal is returning to professional bike racing at the Tour of Denmark tomorrow.
In January the 25-year-old crashed into a parked bus at high speed close to his home in the Colombian capital Bogota. The 2019 Tour de France champion was left with a swathe of injuries, including a broken leg and kneecap, a collapsed lung and extensive damage to his back.
After a remarkable recovery Bernal is returning to racing at the Tour of Denmark, starting on Tuesday, covering 475 miles of racing over five stages in as many days.
Bernal will be joined by British team-mates Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift in Denmark. The Columbian said: "After what happened to me in January this has been the moment I’ve been waiting for – to race with my teammates again. I can’t emphasise enough how hard the last eight months have been for me, both physically and mentally."
"As humans we really rely on each other in our times of need, and this year has been a time of need for me - I can’t thank everyone who has been there for me enough. That support has been invaluable in motivating me every day to work hard to be able to race again. To you all, a heartfelt thank you."
Rod Ellingworth, INEOS Grenadiers deputy team principal, said that a return to racing for the Tour de France winner marks a 'significant milestone' in his recovery.
He said: "When you think back to where Egan was only eight months ago it's incredible the progress he has made. He’s shown the world the true strength of his character, and demonstrated remarkable grit in returning to race-readiness. We’re still on a journey with Egan, but lining up at the Tour of Denmark is a significant and hard-earned milestone."