Egan Bernal says he has finally reached the point where he is going better than he was before his big accident, as he lines up to take on this week's Tour de Romandie.
The Colombian Ineos Grenadiers rider hit a stationary bus at 62kph (38 mph) during a training session in January 2022, breaking 20 bones and suffering two collapsed lungs.
But Bernal has performed well since the start of this year, and put in a solid ride at last month's Volta Catalunya to secure third overall.
"This year I can finally handle my normal training load again, and that feels good," he told Dutch outlet Wielerflits. He was speaking after finishing 21st at last weekend's Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he came in with third-placed Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in a 25-strong chase group behind winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and his lone pursuer Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL).
"I think, when I look at my values and my figures now, I'm already better at this moment, than before my fall. It's just the others who have got better," Bernal said – presumably referring to riders such as Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step).
"But that's just how the sport has evolved. You have to keep making progress every season to stay with the best. But I have faith. I just have to persevere and keep doing what I'm doing well.”
It was only last week, says Bernal, that he came to the realisation that his pre-accident form could be achievable.
"In the Volta Catalunya I was already at the front, but I was struggling every moment to find my rhythm," he said. "Only this month did I really get that good feeling back.”
His ride at Catalunya came off the back of seventh overall at Paris-Nice in March and third overall at the Spanish O Gran Camiño stage race the month before.
As well as those GC finishes Bernal has registered seven top-fives and three podiums this year.
The promising numbers he is achieving in training are only an "indication", he accepted.
"Ultimately you still have to show it in the races," he conceded. "But things are going well there too. I want to continue those performances in the next races and continue to prepare well for what lies ahead. The Tour de Romandie… then I will go for the Critérium du Dauphiné, and hopefully I can also go to the Tour de France.”
The Tour de Romandie runs from Tuesday April 23 to Sunday April 28.
