Egan Bernal: step by step of how the 'Young Wonder' of Zipaquirá was reborn

January 24 (morning): Egan Bernal, called to battle the yellow jersey of the next Tour de France with Slovenians Primoz Roglic and Tadej Pogacar, crashed into a municipal bus while training in Gachancipá.

Practicing the time trial, accompanied by some riders from his team (Richard Carapaz, Daniel Martínez, Brandon Rivera, Andrey Amador, Ómar Fraile and Carlos Rodriguez), Egan did not look up to see the car parked on the roadside, apparently leaving some of the passengers. The traffic authorities ruled out the driver's guilt.

Initial diagnosis: The whole country prays for Egan after the first medical report. He suffered cervical and thoracic trauma, blunt chest trauma, musculoskeletal trauma and lower limb trauma, according to the second medical part of the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana.

January 24 (night) It was reported that the Young Wonder of Zipaquirá had to have two surgeries, both on the same day, one on the femur and one on the kneecap of the right leg. He also had a chest tube to drain one of his lungs, perforated during the fall. Nairo Quintana, Rigoberto Urán and Superman López, among the riders who sent him a message of support.

January 28: The medical center confirms two other new surgeries to the pedalist, on the second metacarpal of the right hand and one at the maxillofacial level, to stabilize the fractures that he presented in the mouth”. That same day, Egan appeared on social media with a message:

“After I had a 95% chance of becoming paraplegic and almost losing my life doing what I love doing the most. Today I want to thank God, the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana, all its specialists for doing the impossible, my family, Mafe Motas, friends and all of you for your wishes. I'm still in ICU, but trusting God everything will work out.”

February 2: La Sabana confirmed that a new surgical intervention on Egan's spine. “The patient is already in recovery. The objectives of biomechanical stability of the cervical spine were achieved with excellent clinical results, without complications during surgery,” he reported once the medical process was over.

Discharged (February 6), the winner of the Tour de France 2019 and the Giro d'Italia 2020 was discharged. “Life changed me in a second. At one point I was preparing on the chrono bike and the next second I was fighting for my life. It's like being born again,” he said.

February 10: Four days after leaving the hospital and 18 days after the accident that aroused fear throughout Colombia, Egan Bernal shared a video on his social networks where he was seen walking. In his publication there was an emotional message to his masseur, Cristian Alonso: “Whoever lifts my spirits on hard days and often scolds me when I need it, has accompanied me at the height of my career and now in the most difficult moment”.

March 19: After weeks in which he showed how he progressed in his rehabilitation process, denounced drivers on roads and even gave his opinion on national politics, Egan took another step: driving a car, in the company of his partner, Mafe Motas, and his brother, Ronald Bernal.

March 27: what everyone expected happened, to see Egan Bernal riding a bicycle on a road, those that have given him glory.

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