Tour de France winner Egan Bernal out of hospital after cheating death and breaking almost 20 bones in horror crash
BRAVE Tour de France winner Egan Bernal is out of hospital and back on his feet a fortnight after cheating death in a horror crash.
The 25-year-old Colombian is now continuing his miracle recovery from the dramatic accident at home.
He thanked the doctors that saved his life as he left the private clinic in Bogota where he has undergone several ops including one on his spine.
Bernal, who rides for British team Ineos Grenadiers, suffered almost 20 broken bones when he smashed into a parked bus while training in his homeland.
He revealed his long list of injuries after his last operation five days ago when he was still lying in a hospital bed attached to a drip with a neck brace on.
But overnight the plucky rider showed he is continuing his amazing fightback following his hospital discharge with photos surrounded by friends and the medics who helped him survive and gave him hope he can be competing again in less than a year.
Bernal, who had a huge grin on his face, wrote alongside one of the snaps: “Happy to be born again.”
As he left the University of La Sabana Hospital where he has spent the last fortnight, he told doctors: “My life changed in a split-second.
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“One moment I was preparing for the Tour de France on a time-trial racer and the next I was fighting for my life.
“Everything coincided for me to be in the hands of good professionals. If it hadn’t been for you things would have turned out differently. I feel like I’ve been reborn.
“You don’t know how grateful I am. I hope some day I can repay you in some way for the work you do.”
The hospital said in a statement, confirming Bernal had been discharged: “All Egan’s injuries are stable and in a recovery process.
“His strength, conviction and bravery are an example that motivates us to continue with our work.”
Bernal, who won the 2019 edition of the Tour de France, crashed into a stationary bus during a time-trial with teammates on January 24 in the municipality of Gachancipa on the road between the Colombian capital Bogota and Tunja.
The vehicle had pulled to a stop by the side of the road to drop off a passenger.
Egan admitted in his first comments since the crash doctors had told him he’d had a “95 per chance of becoming paraplegic or almost losing his life" doing what he most loved.
In a second Instagram post last week he said: “I’m back” after coming through spinal surgery with “excellent results” before reeling off his list of injuries including two perforated lungs, ELEVEN broken ribs and two spinal fractures.
The cyclist wrote alongside a selfie snap while he was still in hospital: “Almost 20 broken bones. Eleven ribs, femur, kneecap, T5-T6, odontoid fracture, metacarpal, a thumb, lost a tooth, both lungs perforated.
“I almost died, but do you know what? I’m thankful to God for putting this test in my way. This is the most difficult race of my life but I have had a group of excellent people around me.
“Yesterday they performed the last important operation and it appears everything went well.”
Bernal’s full recovery is expected to take at least six months and early predictions are that he could return to competition in around a year.
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He became the first Latin American to win the Tour de France when he pulled off his triumph, and at the same time the youngest winner since 1909.
The factory worker’s son went on to win the prestigious Giro d’Italia in 2021.