You love to see it 😊 @Eganbernal is up there in the breakaway at #VueltaSJ2023. He's one of around 14 riders up the road and we've ticked over the halfway point.
Egan Bernal: "I was even told that some people thought I was dead"
CyclingFriday, 27 January 2023 at 16:25
A year has passed since the crash that has changed his life forever, and Egan Bernal has detailed his new outlook on life in a recent interview.
“I think today is exactly one year ago, but to tell you the truth when I came out of surgery it was really the last thing on my mind,” Bernal told Eurosport. “I spent many hours in the operating theatre. I was even told that some people thought I was dead, and there was also a good chance that I would be in a wheelchair, so I really didn't think I would be able to get back on a bike.
“The only thing I thought about was just living and being with my family," he assures. Bernal crashed into a stationed bus at high-speed and suffered dozens of fractures on his body as a result. He had been given a 95% chance of passing away or becoming paraplegic, a very negative outlook following the accident that happened close to home in Colombia whilst he was out with teammates.
“The first days you have to learn to walk again, it's super complicated. To be able to eat, just to wash my mouth, to be able to shower. Those were the first things I had to learn," he details. "And just to do that, it took me two months. So imagine if just to walk, to wash your mouth, it takes you two months, then how long it's going to take me to get back to a competitive level in a peloton... it was hours of work. But I had the support of my family, of the whole team and it was a big team effort.”
However what happened was that Bernal, miraculously, has managed to thrive despite the many health issues he had to endure. In August, less than seven months after the crash, he made his competitive return at the Tour of Denmark, a stunning achievement for a person who was given very small chances of returning to a normal life after the crash.
“Sometimes you shut yourself up in cycling, and think that cycling is everything. For me it's not like this. After the 2019 Tour de France I was obsessed with the Tour," he says. Bernal will aim towards the Tour de France this year, and is testing his legs at the Vuelta a San Juan currently.
"If I didn’t win the Tour it would be the end of the world and the reality is not like this. After cycling I have a life, a normal life like you or any other people. Cycling is obviously a very important part of our lives, we are professionals and we love cycling but we all have a mum, a dad or someone who’s waiting at home and that’s much more important than the Tour de France," he aknowledges.
“When you´re in this situation, it’s more precious to be alive. When I saw Vingegaard winning the Tour I felt happy for him. I have my own life, and everyone is living his own situation. There was no room for frustration, I’m just grateful with life for being here and being able to do what I love the most which is riding my bike, telling my story and inspiring people with it.”
The Colombian will see what his true level is over the coming months, following a winter which he deemed successful, and having similar numbers to those of previous years. “It doesn't mean I have lost my ambition and will to win, because I still want to win and I wake up every morning aiming to be the best, but if I don't make it it's fine."
"I have my family, my dog waiting at home just happy to see me – doesn't matter if I win here in San Juan or not. And I'm gonna give the best version of myself. I’m going to be professional. If there’s one that’s better… Remco, Pogacar, Vingegaard... they´re the best in the world. What can I do?" He said.
“What's important for me is to inspire people that maybe are suffering like I was and tell them that they can leave those moments behind. I would like to be at the Tour in a good level and give the best from myself and see how far I can go. I would like to do it well and that's the reason why I wake up every morning," Bernal concluded.
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