Cycling-Bernal undergoes surgery after training crash in Colombia

[January 25, 2022] BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombian cyclist Egan Bernal suffered a crash in training on Monday and is undergoing surgery to repair damage to his leg, knee and spine, doctors at the Bogota clinic where he was being treated said.

The winner of the 2019 Tour de France and last year's Giro d'Italia was at a team training camp in Gachancipa, about 50 km north of Bogota, when he hit a stationary bus, the Sabana University Clinic said.

The clinic said Bernal suffered "cervical and thoracic trauma, blunt chest trauma, musculoskeletal trauma and trauma to the lower limbs".

His right femur was fractured and his kneecap was also damaged, it said later in a statement, adding that doctors would look to repair his leg with the use of pins.

They would also perform a thoracostomy.

The 25-year-old was undergoing surgery on his spine and neurosurgeons were also expected to examine him, it added.

Ineos Grenadiers rider Egan Arley Bernal Gomez of Colombia celebrates winning the Giro d'Italia after the time trial REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini

After the crash Bernal was rushed to hospital by medical personnel from his Ineos Grenadiers team and was "conscious upon arrival," the British team said in a brief statement.

Bernal recently extended his contract with Ineos Grenadiers to 2026.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman and Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota; writing by Andrew Downie; Editing by Christian Radnedge, Ken Ferris, Peter Rutherford)

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