Egan Bernal fractured his collarbone in a crash at the Clásica Jaén on Monday, bringing to an end his promising early season.
The Ineos Grenadier rider's injury also left a sour taste to an otherwise perfect day out for the team in Spain, which saw them win the race through Michał Kwiatkowski.
Bernal abandoned the race after a crash with 12km to go, when he was part of a 10-rider chase group behind his teammate. It is not known how long he will be out of racing for, but it is a speed bump in what had been an ideal start to 2025.
"Following a thorough assessment at the hospital this evening after his crash at Clásica Jaén, Egan has been diagnosed with a fractured clavicle," Ineos Grenadiers wrote on social media. "He will remain under the expert care of our medical team, and a comprehensive recovery plan will be implemented to support his return to training and racing."
After being released from hospital, Bernal said: "I was really happy to start racing again in Europe, especially with my new Colombian jersey and also starting with a victory from Kwiato.
"The way we raced was great and it was really nice to be part of a strong team. I was feeling really strong and obviously I’m sad to have crashed, but at the same time the way I felt during the race gave me a lot of confidence and motivation to keep working hard, the season (ahead) is very long.
"I’ve felt very good in the three races that I have done, so I just have to keep working and I hope to be back soon."
The Colombian won both the time trial and the road race at his National Championships earlier this month, hinting at bigger things to come. They were his first victories since he almost died in a crash in early 2022, which left him doubting his future in the sport.
Before the life-changing incident, Bernal won the Tour de France in 2019 and the Giro d'Italia in 2021, although he did show hints of returning to his former self last year, with seventh at Paris-Nice, third at the Volta a Catalunya, 10th at the Tour de Romandie, and fourth at the Tour de Suisse.
He had also looked in form at Jaén as part of a strong Ineos performance which saw three riders finish in the top 10, chasing moves and blocking the chase of Kwiatkowski's breakaway.
The Pole's victory was his team's first victory outside of National Championships since July 2024 on Monday - 226 days ago.
Ineos Grenadiers win first pro race in 226 days as Michał Kwiatkowski triumphs at Clásica Jaén
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