Training crash puts Bernal’s Giro in peril

A training crash Saturday left Colombia star Egan Bernal of Team Ineos out with a broken collarbone, an injury that puts his Giro d’Italia start in jeopardy.

Team Ineos confirmed via Twitter on Saturday that Bernal broke his clavicle, and said more details would be forthcoming.

The team, however, did not confirm whether the injury will keep Bernal out of the Giro d’Italia. Such injuries often force riders to take time off of the bike to recover. Some riders have been back to racing several weeks after a collarbone break. Whether Bernal races or not likely depends on the severity of the break.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Bernal fell during a training ride Saturday, and will be operated on in Andorra on Sunday.

The news is a big blow for Team Ineos, which was hoping to see Bernal take on leadership for the first time of his promising career in a grand tour. Last year Bernal played a crucial role in Geraint Thomas’s victory at the Tour de France.

This is the third major crash for Bernal. Last year he also broke his clavicle during the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya, and later bounced back to impress during the Tour de France. He was later caught up in a late-race crash during the Clásica San Sebastián in August.

The news comes just after reigning world champion Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) confirmed he would not be starting the Giro as planned.