Former Tour de France winner Egan Bernal remained positive on Monday despite breaking his collarbone in a crash, just as he was regaining top form.

Bernal’s Return Cut Short

After winning the Colombian road race and time trial titles earlier this month, Bernal was caught in a mass crash at the Clasica Jaen late in the race, which was won by his Ineos teammate Michal Kwiatkowski.

The 28-year-old climber, who won the Tour in 2019 and the Giro d’Italia in 2021, has been fighting his way back after a near-fatal training crash in Colombia in 2022. His recent national titles marked his first victories since the accident.

Bernal Remains Optimistic

"I was feeling really strong and obviously I'm sad to have crashed, but at the same time the way I felt during the race gave me a lot of confidence and motivation to keep working hard. The season ahead is very long," Bernal said after being released from the hospital.

"I've felt very good in the three races that I have done, so I just have to keep working and I hope to be back soon."

Recovery And Future Plans

Bernal had been instrumental in setting up Kwiatkowski before the crash ended his race. He had been targeting an Italian campaign, including the one-day Strade Bianche and the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race, ahead of a potential shot at a second Giro d'Italia title.

"Egan will remain under the expert care of the INEOS Grenadiers medical team, and a comprehensive recovery plan will be implemented to support his return to training and racing," the Ineos website stated.