Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) claimed his first race win since suffering a life-threatening accident in 2022, emerging victorious in the elite men’s time trial at the Colombian National Championships in Bucaramanga on Thursday.
Bernal had considered retirement following the accident in which he rode head-first into a stopped city bus while training on his time trial bike. However, he slowly worked his way back into race fitness over the past two seasons.
Bernal scorched the 42.2-kilometre time trial to win his second Colombian title in 50:51 (49.794kph), seven seconds quicker than Walter Vargas (Team Medellin-EPM) and 29 seconds ahead of third-placed Brandon Rivera (Ineos Grenadiers).
The 28-year-old last won a national championship in 2018 when he beat Dani Martinez to the time trial title.