More than a year after his terrible accident against a bus, Egan Bernal, from Zipaquirán, took part in the first stage of the Dauphiné Critérium yesterday without any certainty and waiting to finish the test before thinking about participating in the Tour de France.
“I just want to finish the race and know where I am. It is a good test”, declared the leader of the Ineos team before the start of the first stage of the French race and which serves as a test for those who are preparing their participation in the Tour.
Bernal finished in 21st position, in the peloton where almost all the favorites were riding for the final victory in this prestigious race, which is in its 75th edition.
At 26 years old, the winner of the Tour de France in 2019, who remains the only Colombian cyclist to have won the Grande Boucle, continues to recover from the very serious accident he suffered in January 2022 on the roads of Cundinamarca, when he was training with a bicycle against the clock and crashed into the back of a bus.
As a result of the impact, Bernal suffered a fracture of a vertebra, the femur of his right leg, the kneecap, a perforation of the lung and head trauma.
So serious was his situation that at first the biggest concern in the cycling world was simply whether the Colombian was going to survive. “He had a 95% chance of becoming a paraplegic,” the runner admitted.
Fortunately, the cyclist was able to recover from his injuries and returned to competition in August 2022 in the Tour of Denmark and the Tour of Germany, although he could not finish either of the two races.
This season, he has already participated in five stage events, with two eighth places as the most outstanding results (in the Tour de Romandie and the Tour of Hungary).
“No one knows my level”
But Bernal himself admits that he does not know exactly what his level is with respect to the rest of the peloton and he is not even sure to participate in the next Tour de France (from July 1 to 23).
“I know nothing. At the moment, I only have this race (the Dauphiné) on my programme. The following will depend on how the race goes. Nobody knows exactly what level I am at, neither me nor my coach.
According to the sporting director of Ineos, Steve Cummings, the Colombian is “still on the way back”. “It’s almost a miracle to see the way he’s rebuilt as a running back. I don’t know how much separates him from his best level, but if anyone is capable of recovering it, it’s him, ”he added.
For his part, Bernal insists on the mental strength he has shown in recent months, marked by other, less serious falls. “When you have so many accidents and as bad luck as I did, you have to be strong in the head,” concludes the Colombian.
Start
As for the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, over 158 kilometers, a circuit to Chambon-sur-Lac. There, in addition to Egan, Daniel Felipe Martínez and Esteban Chaves left. The victory went to Christophe Laporte.
It was a fraction that presented itself with the classic profile, taking into account that there were several positive unevennesses along the route, although all (5) of fourth category; outside of an intermediate special sprint.
Therefore, a compact group appeared along the route in which some riders tried to break away, but they only succeeded once they had passed half the route. Even so, the main group approached the escapees about 17 kilometers from the finish line and the ‘beetles’ were there.
Later, after a comeback at the end of the track by Laporte, followed by Matteo Trentin and Rune Herregodts, it was confirmed that Egan arrived with the group, placing 21st on the day, and consequently, in the same position in the standings. general; Martínez and Chaves arrived with the same time.
Now, the more than 200 runners present at the Dauphiné Critérium are getting ready for a second fraction with a profile similar to yesterday’s, as it will have four mountain passes (two third and two fourth), and a 167.3-kilometre route. .