Elite cyclist Egan Bernal was left fighting for his life after slamming into the back of a parked bus so hard he left a huge dent in its bodywork.
Bernal, 25, was out training on the streets close to his home in the Colombian capital Bogota when the freak crash occurred.
The 2019 Tour de France champion was left with a swathe of injuries which almost killed him, including a broken leg and kneecap, a collapsed lung and extensive damage to his back.
Fortunately Bernal has survived the surgeries he has undergone so far and remains in intensive care.
Now, he needs to undergo spinal surgery which, according to a report from Spanish-language newspaper Marca, is set to take place today (Wednesday).
The hospital where the cyclist is being treated told Marca that undergoing the procedure "will favour his rehabilitation process".
"We advance with the patient in all his recovery processes, confident in his prompt improvement," the hospital added in a statement.
"We will be reporting the post-operative evolution of the athlete at the time the procedure is finished."
After winning the 2019 Tour de France, Bernal became the Giro d'Italia champion last year.
He took to his Instagram page at the weekend to inform his fans of his progress.
"Having had a 95 per cent chance of becoming a paraplegic and nearly losing my life doing what I love to do most, today I want to thank God, @clinicaunisabana, to all its specialists for doing the impossible, to my family, @mafemotas, friends and all of you for your wishes," he wrote.
"I'm still in the ICU waiting for more surgeries but trusting in God everything will be fine."
Pictures emerged shortly after the crash which showed the Colombian receiving medical treatment at the roadside, and showing the huge dent he had made when he made impact with the bus.
A statement from his British-based team Ineos Grenadiers revealed that Bernal had been conscious when he was transferred to hospital after the crash.
