Cycling, Bernal's rebirth: the Colombian returns to winning after 1348 days

Rome, 7 February 2025 - Every ordeal has its end: even that of Egan Bernal, which returns to success 1348 days the terrible accident that had put in doubt the continuation of one of the most promising careers of the last decades.  

Bernal's return to victory

  Even before a list of successes that includes the Tour de France 2019 and Giro d'Italia 2021, it was the day of birth that spoke: 13st January, as Marco Pantani. In short, a predestined one, who however, just like the late Pirate, had to deal with a lot of bad luck. The worst had happened on 24 January 2022, when during a training session with the time trial bike the Colombian, at over 60 km/h of speed, a few kilometers from home he had crashed into a bus that had just stopped. The consequences were terrible, as the person concerned would recall on several occasions. "I am safe thanks to a miracle. I risked my life and almost ended up in a wheelchair". There were six surgical operations and the most problematic area to fix was the right femur, without forgetting the fracture of the kneecap, of six vertebrae and the many problems with the lungs. The return to the bike is slow and gradual, with a few placings to underline it: 36esimo al Tour de France 2023, 55esimo to the 2023 lap, 29esimo al Tour de France 2024 and, moving on to the Classics, 21esimo to the Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2024. The talent is crystal clear, as the late John Savio, the discoverer of the first Colombian to triumph at Great Boucle who today dreams of rebirth. Almost like a circle that closes, Bernal 'chooses' a time trial to return to winning after the terrible accident that occurred on a bike specifically for racing against time: 42 km routes at an average of 49,794 km/h on the circuit of Bucaramanga valid to consecrate him as national champion of the specialty. The other account with destiny will close at Giro d'Italia 2025, where the class of '97 will return as captain of the Ineos Grenadiers after the triumph of the 2021. The presence at the Corsa pink, beyond the suggestions dictated by emotions, will be the first real test to ascertain the point at which the rebirth process of Bernal, who in the meantime has witnessed (against his will) as a spectator the entry into cycling of many phenomena who are in fact monopolising the top positions of the Grand Tours. The Colombian with theItaly he is not in his heart and, amidst a thousand misfortunes and hardships, he tries to regain his place in the circle of the discipline's champions. The road is still uphill, curiously the most fertile terrain for the climber who also knows how to go fast in the time trial, as he wanted to remind us at the dawn of the most awaited season.

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