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Colombian professional cyclist Egan Bernal with hospital staff in Bogotá: "The patient is ready to start rehabilitation"
Photo:
HANDOUT / AFP
Former Colombian Tour de France winner Egan Bernal has left hospital just two weeks after his serious fall and multiple surgeries.
This was announced by the clinic in Bogotá and published photos of Bernal with the facility's staff.
“The patient is ready to begin rehabilitation.
There are no complications, his injuries are stable and recovering," the statement said.
Bernal will also take the next steps in a Colombian clinic.
"Being alive again is like a rebirth for me," Bernal explained in a short video.
The 25-year-old was the first South American to win the tour in 2019.
Taking to Instagram, Bernal wrote: "I almost killed myself but you know what?
I thank God I had to go through this.
That was the toughest race, but I had a great group of people around me.« At the same time, Bernal was optimistic about his sporting future: »It seems that everything went well.
Now I have to recover and work on my comeback.«
Two weeks ago, while training in his home country, Bernal drove his time trial bike into a bus.
He had broken almost 20 bones, including eleven ribs, two vertebrae, a femur and a kneecap.
In addition, both lungs were perforated.
Bernal himself had put his chances of not being paraplegic at only five percent.
Many athletes, such as the Colombian professional cyclist Nairo Quintana and footballer Radamel Falcao, expressed their sympathy on social networks after the fall.
Colombian President Iván Duque also wished Bernal a speedy recovery via Twitter.
Bernal has been a national hero since his tour victory in Colombia in 2019 at the latest.
Victory at Giro 2021
When Bernal can sit in the racing saddle again is still open.
He had announced big goals at the beginning of the year.
He intends to return to the tour, he said after extending his contract with Ineos Grenadiers until 2026. The tour kicks off in Copenhagen on July 1 this year.
Bernal was in 2020 for the last time in the Tour of France, one year after his surprise success.
Due to a back injury, however, he had to give up early and thus buried his hopes of successfully defending his title.
Last year, Bernal did not compete in France, instead he competed in the Giro d'Italia - and won it for the first time.
mey/dpa