Egan Bernal's speed in recovering from a life-threatening crash was beyond expectations, but Rod Ellingworth, deputy team manager for Ineos Grenadiers, said the Colombian rider's return to competition is not yet "scheduled."

Dr. Gustavo Uriza, who oversaw the treatment of Bernal's injuries, told a medical conference in Colombia this week that Bernal could return to training and competition soon.

Ellingworth, speaking to Cycling News on Friday, explained that such a hypothesis is extremely premature. While Bernal's progress in his recovery is encouraging, his Ineos team has not said when he will return to racing. He will head to Europe this week for training, but for the time being his focus will be on rehabilitation rather than competition.

"I'm sure everyone is speculating as to when he will return to racing, but I want to be clear, there are no plans at this time," Ellingworth told Cycling News.

"We've always said that we really have to take it one day at a time. When you have a terrible accident like that, first there is the initial shock for you and your family. And then after that, it's getting through that all-important surgery."

Bernal suffered a fractured vertebra, a broken right femur, a fractured right patella, chest trauma, a punctured lung, and several broken ribs in a training crash at 60 km/h near Bogota on January 24. He spent about two weeks in the intensive care unit and later revealed that he was in danger of losing his life or being left paralyzed by the accident.

Remarkably, Bernal was back on the bike two months later, and his coach, Xavier Altexte, later suggested that a return to competition in late 2022 was not out of the question. However, despite reports from Colombia this week, he is not expected to return anytime soon.

"Egan has recovered faster than anyone expected," Altekste said. So he will be back." But we have no expectations and no plans to race at all yet. It is too early to predict when he will be back. It's still too early to predict when he'll be back.

Nevertheless, Bernal's return to Europe appears to mark a new phase in his recovery. He will be based in Monaco, close to the headquarters of the Ineos team, where he will continue to work toward an eventual return to the peloton.

"His idea is to feel a little closer to the team. We have staff at Monaco," Ellingworth said.

"He has had a good relationship with the medical group in Colombia. Everything he has done has been in collaboration with the team. But now I think it's about getting back into the team environment. He'll feel more familiar and I think he'll be part of the team a little bit more."

"He'll ride the bike with everybody and that will spur him on. But it's not like he just came back from a broken collarbone. He has a more complicated situation.

Ellingworth, of course, is aware that Bernal's desired timeline for returning to competition may not exactly match the schedule envisioned by the team and medical staff. the 2019 Tour de France winner, Bernal has made no secret of his eagerness to pick up where he left off. While he has professed his eagerness to resume from where he left off, Ineos has a long-term view, as Bernal is under contract until the end of 2026.

"Most players in that situation want to move faster than they should. Because if you miss an important part of rehabilitation, it could be irreversible. [Ellingworth said, "It's a good thing that we're doing this, because if you miss a critical part of the rehab, you can't get it back. But in Egan's case, as with most riders, you actually have to hold back a little bit and brake a little bit.

"And again, when we recruit riders, we often look for those elements. I often say this about Geraint Thomas. If you want him to train for five hours, make it four."

After Bernal's accident, Ineos resisted the temptation to reshuffle the Grand Tour contingent to make up for his absence in July. As already decided last winter, Richard Karapas will lead a strong lineup for the Giro d'Italia, while Adam Yates and Daniel Martinez are preparing for the Tour.

"The Giro was always Richard's plan and he never strayed from it. There was never any talk of him going to the Tour," Ellingworth said. We haven't changed our plans at all. Losing Egan was a big blow, but we are still lucky because we have some talented riders."