2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal says he had a 95% chance of being paralyzed after crashing into bus

The crash occurred Monday, and Bernal has since had an "excellent" response to spinal surgery

A bus crash almost paralyzed former Tour de France champion Egan Bernal on Monday. Bernal, who's currently under intensive care, tweeted he had a "95% chance of ending quadriplegic" and nearly died after colliding with a bus while training in Columbia. 

In a social-media post, Bernal thanked his doctors for "doing the impossible" and expressed gratitude for the support his family and fans have shown him through the recovery process. 

"I'm still in the ICU waiting for more surgeries," Bernal, a Colombia native, wrote on Friday. "but trusting in God everything will be fine."

Bernal underwent surgeries on his right hand and mouth on Friday at Clinica Universidad de La Sabana in Bogotá, Colombia. Juan Guillermo Ortiz Martinez, the hospital's general director, said the 25-year-old is "already recovering without any type of complication" in a statement posted to social media. 

Comunicado 8 versión en inglés.

Clínica Universidad de La Sabana is permitted to report on the state of health of Egan Bernal, who has been assessed in an interdisciplinary manner by our specialists. We will be very attentive to inform you about his evolution. pic.twitter.com/E0PDJ360Yd

— Clínica Unisabana (@ClinicaUsabana) January 29, 2022

Bernal's crash occurred Monday when he rode high speed into the back of a stationary bus on his time trial bike. The collision fractured Bernal's vertebrae, gave him chest trauma, punctured his lung, and also broke his right femur, right patella and ribs. On Wednesday, Clinica Universidad de La Sabana announced Bernal's lungs have "adequately re-expanded" and his response to spinal surgery was "excellent." 

A rising star in cycling, Bernal became the fourth-youngest Tour de France winner in 2019 at 22 years and 196 days. He also won the Giro d'Italia last year.