PARIS (AFP) – Ineos Grenadiers hailed 2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal’s “character and resilience” in battling back from a near-fatal road accident to make their team for this year’s race announced on Monday.
Getting to the starting line-up in Bilbao on Saturday represents a significant achievement in itself for the Colombian who almost died in a training crash in January 2022.
The 26-year-old specialist climber suffered multiple broken bones when he hit a stationary bus at speed near Bogata.
Bernal needed multiple surgeries after breaking several ribs, a knee cap, a thigh bone, two vertebrae and a thumb in the crash.
“I almost died but I thank God for this test,” he said at the time. Now, a year and a half later, Bernal is back and primed to make life difficult for defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and two-time champion Tadej Pogacar.
“The whole team’s really thrilled for Egan, and everyone who’s supported him in his return to full fitness,” said Ineos director Rod Ellingworth.
“It’s a demonstration of his character and resilience, and the extraordinary effort he’s put into his recovery over the past 18 months.
“Of course, as a previous winner, he brings invaluable insight and a winning attitude to the group. His grit and determination sum up what we’re all about as a team, and all our riders will benefit from his experience at the Tour.”
