"He’s shown the world the true strength of his character" - Ellingworth on Egan Bernal

Egan Bernal is back in the peloton officially with the Tour of Denmark on the road, and Rod Ellingworth has talked about the Colombian's process of recovery and his feelings regarding his comeback.

"When you think back to where Egan was only eight months ago it's incredible the progress he has made. He’s shown the world the true strength of his character, and demonstrated remarkable grit in returning to race-readiness," Ellingworth said in a press release. "We’re still on a journey with Egan, but lining up at the Tour of Denmark is a significant and hard-earned milestone".

Bernal has yesterday returned to competition at the Tour of Denmark after what can only be described as a miraculous recovery from several life threatening injuries suffered in a traffic accident back in January. His return this early on comes as a shock to many, but the fact that he has shown competitive form is perhaps even more suprising.

"Egan’s long-term recovery has and continues to guide our medical and physical programme of support – our targets have always been performance-led not race-led, and the entire INEOS Grenadiers family is proud and delighted for Egan that his determination and application will now see him return to the race environment he has craved for so long," the team's performance manager concluded. Bernal rode in service of the team in the race's opening day, actively making an effort to help INEOS Grenadiers.