Chris Froome calls for calm over questions about former team-mate Egan Bernal’s future in cycling after crash
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Updated 02/02/2022 at 10:12 GMT
A crash in Colombia left Egan Bernal with a 95% chance of paralysis, the 2019 Tour de France champion said last week. Former Ineos team-mate Chris Froome has given his reaction to Bernal’s crash, and speaking from experience the Briton has called for patience as the Colombian focuses on recovery after crashing into a stationary bus.
Colombia's Egan Bernal (L) and Britain's Chris Froome (R) of Team Ineos shake hands as they celebrate after competing in the 3rd stage of the La Route d'Occitanie
Image credit: Getty Images
Chris Froome urged “let the kid be” when insisting the focus should be on Egan Bernal’s recovery – not when his former team-mate might return to cycling after a near-fatal crash in Colombia.
Bernal collided into a stationary bus last week, and the 2019 Tour de France winner is hopeful of a full recovery despite doctors initially telling him there was a 95% chance of paralysis.
The 25-year-old remains in intensive care in Bogota, and is set to undergo spinal surgery, with his injuries including a fractured vertebrae, a fractured right femur, a fractured right kneecap, chest trauma, a punctured lung and fractured ribs.
Froome suffered a training accident of his own in 2019, and speaking from experience, the Briton said Bernal does not need to be bombarded with questions during rehabilitation.
“Obviously, Egan Bernal has had a horrendous crash over in Colombia. I don’t really know the full extent of his injuries, and quite frankly, I don’t think anyone should really be asking for the full extent of his injuries,” Froome said on his YouTube channel.
“Let the kid be. He’s taken a massive hit right now. He’s probably laying in hospital. He and his family are all going to be asking a thousand questions about what does this mean for their lives? What does this mean for cycling?
“Just let them be. I mean, I would only offer support to him and his family right now. No one needs to be demanding questions about the injuries, when he’s going to be back on a bike, if he’s going to be at the highest level again.”
In June 2019, Froome crashed during a recon at the Criterium du Dauphine.
The seven-time Grand Tour winner collided into a wall at 37mph, leaving him in intensive care, and it was a long path back to full fitness for the 36-year-old, who swapped Ineos for Israel-Premier Tech (formerly Israel Start-up Nation) at the beginning of 2021.
Froome added: “What [Egan Bernal] needs right now are his friends and family close by and to work through this one stage at a time, and focus on getting back to normal life, first and foremost, and then cycling can be an afterthought, after that.
"My thoughts, obviously, go out to him. It doesn’t matter what team you’re on or anything, but to see, especially a youngster like him, take a hit like that, it’s extremely sad for our sport."
Bernal revealed the grim prognosis he was initially faced with on Friday.
Writing on Twitter, Bernal said: “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, the Clinica Universidad de La Sabana and to all its specialists for doing the impossible, my family and all of you.
"I’m still in the ICU awaiting more operations, but trusting God everything will be fine.”
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