Egan Bernal has just recovered enough to resume riding outside, but on Saturday the Ineos Grenadiers rider will return to riding indoors. Bernal will participate in the virtual group ride, which is being held as a thank you for the outpouring of support following a crash during training in January. [It was a little over two months ago that Bernal, who suffered a fractured vertebra, right femur, right patella, several broken ribs, chest trauma and a perforated lung, was hospitalized, facing surgery and a difficult road to recovery. Each time he took his first steps, pedaled his exercise bike, or ran outside to mark his recovery, his social media posts received thousands and thousands of messages of support.

This support, along with his determination to return to racing, has helped the 2019 Tour de France and 2021 Giro d'Italia winner throughout the rehabilitation process, the team said when announcing the ride.

"It has been, and still is, the biggest challenge of my life, and to be back on the bike so soon after my accident is something I have been dreaming about for the past few weeks," Bernal said in a team media statement announcing the event.

"Words cannot express this joy. So I want as many people as possible to join Zwift this Saturday and run with us for an hour."

The "Ride with Egan" Zwift event will take place on Saturday, April 2 at 5 p.m. CEST and will run on the Beach Island Loop in Watopia.

Bernal's training accident occurred on January 24, when he was riding his time trial bike and crashed into a bus at nearly 65 km/h. After the accident, the rider stated that there was a 95 percent chance that he would be paralyzed.

After recovering in Colombia, Bernal pedaled slowly on a spacious stationary bike in February, celebrated his transition to an upright indoor training set in a March 13 Instagram post, and recently happily delivered photos of his first outdoor ride. 'Happiest day of my life. After two months and 20 broken bones, here I am."

And apparently he got more, posting a video of his second day on the bike on Twitter.