Teams & Riders The official Egan Bernal is the new Egan Bernal thread

[Tim Cahill]

Whilst true it was against mainly Conti riders, they were all on their home turf, at 2900m altitude and will have been peaking for this race. The pace was serious and the terrain and racing different, so shouldn't be overlooked, I think a very positive showing.

 

[chickenlips]

Maybe he needs to go on 50k plus solos to impress folk on here.

 

[Salvarani]

Clearly better than last year.

Hope he doesnt suffer a setback and can keep on riding.

Then who knows, seeing him be a contender again would be great.

 

[Cookster15]

Great article on Bernal.

'I don't have to prove anything to anyone' – Egan Bernal finds joy in comeback

Ineos rider on being competitive again and being a Colombian idol

www.cyclingnews.com

A reminder of his injuries puts it all into perspective.

fractured vertebrae, a fractured femur, a fractured patella and a punctured lung

On his struggle to regain his old level.....

Physically, it was very difficult, because I wasn’t the best version of myself and I was suffering quite a lot,” Bernal explains “But every time I had a moment where I was struggling mentally, I’d remind myself, ‘I’m alive,’ and that was already a win for me

Touché.

 

[Extinction]

Bernal just needs to go steady ahead. His ship was taken into high seas. If the ship can be steared into calmer waters then the harbor (wherever it takes him) shall be there.

 

[Escarabajo]

A good take by Chris Horner:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEv2fv6pTGs

 

[JRanton]

He’s done very well to even get back to this level but is it fair to say his role in the biggest races is unlikely to be anything more than climbing domestique/stage hunter?

Well I think today was definitely the best we’ve seen from him since the accident. Was desperately hoping he could hold on and beat Jonas in the sprint but not quite to be. Still a very promising ride though.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Awesome to see!

 

[AmRacer]

Can he be the fifth contender for the TdF GC?

 

[Sciatic]

Well I think today was definitely the best we’ve seen from him since the accident. Was desperately hoping he could hold on and beat Jonas in the sprint but not quite to be. Still a very promising ride though.

There’s an entire pro peloton trying to “hold on and beat Jonas” so he’s in good company.

 

[Blanco]

Bravo Egan! On his way back, definitelly...

 

[perico]

Can he be the fifth contender for the TdF GC?

I doubt it. Even in 2019, he was still not on the level of what we have been seeing from Jonas or Teddy. It’s great to see him competing at a high level again though.

 

[Elos Anjos]

Can he be the fifth contender for the TdF GC?

There's the weight issue, Bernal looks kinda blobby.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I doubt it. Even in 2019, he was still not on the level of what we have been seeing from Jonas or Teddy. It’s great to see him competing at a high level again though.

Imho, there were stages in the Giro he won, where he looked stronger than during the Tour he won.

 

[Oldermanish]

I doubt it. Even in 2019, he was still not on the level of what we have been seeing from Jonas or Teddy. It’s great to see him competing at a high level again though.

Considering where he's been with injuries he may need another season to find a new peak. That said, this is new territory for Egan, too. Most of his wreckage is recoverable but the vertebrae are a very sensitive human component. If he can use all of his strength each day without pain he may surprise everyone. That'd be cool.

 

[Extinction]

Considering where he's been with injuries he may need another season to find a new peak. That said, this is new territory for Egan, too. Most of his wreckage is recoverable but the vertebrae are a very sensitive human component. If he can use all of his strength each day without pain he may surprise everyone. That'd be cool.

I've broken 2 vertebrae in a cycling incident, unless you remain paralized, you recover. The problem can be on long, hard rides thereafter, in which you begin to hurt there, but otherwise it should not be a hindrance. Having said that, I don't think peak Bernal is on their level.

 

[Sciatic]

I've broken 2 vertebrae in a cycling incident, unless you remain paralized, you recover. The problem can be on long, hard rides thereafter, in which you begin to hurt there, but otherwise it should not be a hindrance. Having said that, I don't think peak Bernal is on their level.

Broken bones (including vertebrae) almost always heal. But if Bernal also badly ruptured one or more discs in the accident, the resulting problems may not improve without surgery. But I don’t remember his specific set of injuries.

 

[Cookster15]

I've broken 2 vertebrae in a cycling incident, unless you remain paralized, you recover. The problem can be on long, hard rides thereafter, in which you begin to hurt there, but otherwise it should not be a hindrance. Having said that, I don't think peak Bernal is on their level.

You cannot compare, we all only guessing. Not even Bernal knows how his body will respond. Every crash and injury is different. Each injury is specific and each person has different recovery rates for various injuries. There are factors Bernal can control, but others he cannot. The best we can do is react based upon his results. Considering what we know I think his results are promising so far.

 

[Oldermanish]

You cannot compare, we all only guessing. Not even Bernal knows how his body will respond. Every crash and injury is different. Each injury is specific and each person has different recovery rates for various injuries. There are factors Bernal can control, but others he cannot. The best we can do is react based upon his results. Considering what we know I think his results are promising so far.

Very much agree in that Egan doesn't know how far he can go. We know that confidence is critical to this sport and I doubt his position on the bike resembles his prior posture. I absolutely don't know that answer. He could have limitations he'll reach based on how he's healed and how much more he can reach into his motivation to train around those challenges. He's pretty amazing right now and we'd all gain a great challenger and story out his success.

Broken bones (including vertebrae) almost always heal. But if Bernal also badly ruptured one or more discs in the accident, the resulting problems may not improve without surgery. But I don’t remember his specific set of injuries.

Spoken from the heart of your Avatar!

 

[Sciatic]

Very much agree in that Egan doesn't know how far he can go. We know that confidence is critical to this sport and I doubt his position on the bike resembles his prior posture. I absolutely don't know that answer. He could have limitations he'll reach based on how he's healed and how much more he can reach into his motivation to train around those challenges. He's pretty amazing right now and we'd all gain a great challenger and story out his success.

Spoken from the heart of your Avatar!

Ha! I forgot about that Yeah, I registered on CN during a stretch when it was really bad .

 

[Escarabajo]

Broken bones (including vertebrae) almost always heal. But if Bernal also badly ruptured one or more discs in the accident, the resulting problems may not improve without surgery. But I don’t remember his specific set of injuries.

He had around half dozen surgeries. It was pretty bad. He was saying the other day somewhere in the order of 24 bones. But not sure if I heard correctly.

 

[Sciatic]

He had around half dozen surgeries. It was pretty bad. He was saying the other day somewhere in the order of 24 bones. But not sure if I heard correctly.

Thanks . . . That’s amazing, and so unfortunate he had to go through all that with no guarantee about what level he’d be able to get back to.

 

[Unchained]

Broken bones (including vertebrae) almost always heal. But if Bernal also badly ruptured one or more discs in the accident, the resulting problems may not improve without surgery. But I don’t remember his specific set of injuries.

I have had multiple broken bones both sides of my upper and lower body and had a procedure rear of my neck to redirect a problem nerve, I am like a meteorologist.. My body can signal coming rain or change in pressure and humidity and the sensitivity is in the locations of the breaks.. I have what is described as a speed bump on my right collar bone from the calcium build up. And my ex wife described it as ugly and when she said to the doctor, can't anything be done he looked at her and said " what is he going to do modeling? " been a joke ever since, I can almost guarantee that Bernal will have lifelong effects from his injuries.Don't remember but I think one of his bones broken was a femer.

 

[Sciatic]

I have had multiple broken bones both sides of my upper and lower body and had a procedure rear of my neck to redirect a problem nerve, I am like a meteorologist.. My body can signal coming rain or change in pressure and humidity and the sensitivity is in the locations of the breaks.. I have what is described as a speed bump on my right collar bone from the calcium build up. And my ex wife described it as ugly and when she said to the doctor, can't anything be done he looked at her and said " what is he going to do modeling? " been a joke ever since, I can almost guarantee that Bernal will have lifelong effects from his injuries.Don't remember but I think one of his bones broken was a femer.

That’s pretty funny about the model Also I didn’t mean to see having broken bones were easy to deal with—but it’s a more direct problem than healing soft tissue damage.

 

[Oldermanish]

I have had multiple broken bones both sides of my upper and lower body and had a procedure rear of my neck to redirect a problem nerve, I am like a meteorologist.. My body can signal coming rain or change in pressure and humidity and the sensitivity is in the locations of the breaks.. I have what is described as a speed bump on my right collar bone from the calcium build up. And my ex wife described it as ugly and when she said to the doctor, can't anything be done he looked at her and said " what is he going to do modeling? " been a joke ever since, I can almost guarantee that Bernal will have lifelong effects from his injuries.Don't remember but I think one of his bones broken was a femer.

I feel your meteorology and painful history. The metal in neck, knee and shoulder can also predict temperature trends.
My first Cat 4 crash (2nd race) left me with a cloudy clavicle x-ray. I asked the Doc if they would fix it with a rod. "Fix what?" He suggested the cloudy, fragmented 2" gap would consolidate over time. Proud owner of the entire Teton Range profile now. It has smoothed to a more Colorado-esque view after 35 years. The other side looks more like undulating sand dunes. Cycling is great on shoulders. I can't go strapless in ball gowns, either.