Egan Bernal spotted training on Giro d’Italia roads as he ‘works all day’ on recovery

This article originally appeared on Velo News

Egan Bernal may not be defending his pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia this month, but that’s not stopping him pedaling along the race’s route.

The Ineos Grenadiers star was spotted on the parcours of Friday’s 13th stage of the Giro as he continues to ride his way back to fitness after the horror crash that left him with a long list of career-threatening injuries this winter.

“Right now I’m doing two hours per day on the bike but I’m working all day, I have absolutely no time for anything else. And in the evenings I do gymnastics and physiotherapy,” Bernal said at a Giro gala event Thursday.

The Colombian climber king returned to Europe earlier in the spring after being declared as “cured” by the medics that treated him in the aftermath of his horror crash in January.

Despite the promising signs of progress, Bernal isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“In my thoughts [racing] is still far away,” Bernal said. “Winning or taking part in a race is not in my mind. There is no date yet. It is difficult to know when I will be able to come back.”

Also read:

• Bernal could be cleared to race by end of May

• Bernal ‘in a good place’ says Ellingworth

Team manager Rod Ellingworth confirmed to VeloNews earlier this month that Bernal is straining at the leash to return to racing.

However, Ineos Grenadiers is taking a cautious approach as the Colombian sensation continues off-bike rehab and only rarely trains alongside his teammates.

"He's quite determined to come back and race before the end of the year but we don't have a date at all,” Ellingworth said. “Nothing at all and it would be unrealistic to think so.”

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