FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 7 - Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin - Nuits-Saint-Georges, France - July 5, 2024 INEOS Grenadiers' Egan Bernal crosses the finish line after stage 7 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo
(Reuters) - Former Tour de France champion Egan Bernal fractured his collarbone in a crash at the Clasica Jaen race, his team Ineos Grenadiers said on Monday.
The Colombian was involved in a 10-rider crash in the final stretch of the race, while team mate Michal Kwiatkowski surged ahead to take the win in Spain.
"Following a thorough assessment at the hospital this evening after his crash at Clasica Jaen, Egan has been diagnosed with a fractured clavicle," Ineos wrote on their X account.
"He will remain under the expert care of our medical team, and a comprehensive recovery plan will be implemented to support his return to training and racing."
The 28-year-old claimed his first Colombian National Road title on home soil earlier this month, his first title after he suffered a near-fatal crash in a high-speed collision in 2022.
"I was really happy to start racing again in Europe, especially with my new Colombian jersey and also starting with a victory from Kwiato," Bernal, winner of the 2021 Giro d'Italia, said.
"The way we raced was great and it was really nice to be part of a strong team. I was feeling really strong and obviously I'm sad to have crashed, but at the same time the way I felt during the race gave me a lot of confidence and motivation to keep working hard.
"I've felt very good in the three races that I have done, so I just have to keep working and I hope to be back soon."
Bernal had been gearing up for a series of races in Italy, before aiming for a second Giro d'Italia title in May.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
