The Team Ineos rider remains in intensive care after undergoing surgery to repair fractures sustained to his femur, knee and vertebrae, with further operations to come to fix further fractures in his hand and mouth.
Doctors at the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana stated on Friday that Bernal’s recovery was continuing “as expected” and following “a favourable trend.”
However in his first statement since the crash, the 2019 Tour de France winner revealed in a social media post the dire situation which faced the champion cyclist when he was first admitted to hospital.
“Having had a 95% chance of becoming a paraplegic and nearly losing my life doing what I love to do most, today I want to thank God, Clínica Universidad de La Sabana, all its specialists for doing the impossible, my family, Mafe Motas and all of you for your good wishes,” Bernal wrote on Twitter and Instagram.
“I'm still in the ICU waiting for more surgeries but trusting in God everything will be fine.”
Bernal crashed into a bus that had stopped to drop off passengers while he was training on Monday. He was riding his time trial bike on the highway and he hit the rear of the bus at a reported 60kph. He fractured vertebrae, his right femur, his right patella and ribs, as well as suffering chest trauma and a punctured lung.
His friend and Ineos Grenadiers teammate Brandon Rivera has also been treated at the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana this week after crashing while training nearby on Thursday. He was treated for a fractured and dislocated elbow.
