Back already! Egan Bernal climbs Col d'Eze one week on from fractured collarbone

Egan Bernal, the Colombian cyclist who is already a figurehead for overcoming adversity, has once again demonstrated his ability to keep fighting even in the most challenging of situations. Just last week, during the Clásica Jaén in Spain, Bernal suffered a fractured collarbone in a crash that involved multiple other riders.

This incident occurred in the final stretch of the race, casting a shadow over his promising start to the 2025 season. Despite this setback, Bernal is incredibly already his bike, as he recently undertook a training ride up the Col d'Èze, which is hopefully an indication that he will be back racing again in the near future.

The injury at the Clásica Jaén was a significant blow, especially considering the fact that Bernal recently became a winner again, not once, but twice! Earlier in February, he clinched his first Colombian National time trial title, marking his return to form after a prolonged period of recovery from his infamous scrash in 2022. This was his first in 1354 days, and guess what? He then won the road race just a few days later!

The Col d'Èze is often featured in races like Paris-Nice, served as the backdrop for Bernal's return to training. His decision to tackle this ascent so soon after his injury suggests that his wounds are not as bad as we initially feared, and it won’t be long before we see the INEOS Grenadiers rider going in search of his first World Tour victory since 2021.

Looking ahead, Bernal's schedule includes several key races, assuming his schedule won’t be too severely altered. According to reports, his spring calendar features Strade Bianche, and Tirreno-Adriatico, whilst it is rumoured that his main objective in 2025 will be to complete his set of grand tour wins by taking the red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana in the late summer.