Egan Bernal (open in new tab) has made no secret of his desire to return to the highest levels of cycling, and he is hugely optimistic that he can do so, even if he knows deep down that it may take years or may not happen at all.

Colombia's Ineos Grenadiers (open in new tab) rider has made a remarkable recovery so far from a training crash that left him 95 percent certain to die or be paralyzed, and is already walking again and even turning pedals on a stationary bicycle

"I've been working out for years.

With a fractured femur and kneecap, as well as part of his spine, he still faces a lengthy rehabilitation process just to return to normal bodily functions, let alone return to the status of the elite athlete who won the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia.

Nevertheless, Bernal's determination is clear, as he revealed in his first interview with Colombia's Semana magazine since his January 24 accident.

"I want to come back. It's what I love to do the most. I'm a cyclist, and if I wasn't on a bike, I wouldn't know what to do. But at the moment I feel like I'm a cyclist and an athlete.

"I want to recover as quickly as possible. At the moment I'm at the point where I don't need help getting up out of bed and I'm trying to become self-sufficient. I want to focus on the basics first, and then once my body is fully mobile, I want to focus a little more on the sporting side of things.

As for how soon that will be, no time frame has been set at this point, and there are no guarantees in any case. Interestingly, however, Bernal indicated that he has a feeling that things are going to move very quickly.

"I have faith. I don't know why I believe I can do it or why I believe I can do it quickly. But whether it's a year, a decade, or six months, or three months ......."

Bernal is not thinking in terms of results at the moment. Having already won the Tour and Giro, he had ambitions of finishing the Grand Tour at the Vuelta a España, but he says it would be a mistake to measure himself against his past achievements.

"I don't know if I can be at the level to win the Tour de France. If it is difficult enough with everything going well, I don't know what will happen now."

"I want to be the best version of Egan Bernal. Obviously, what Egan Bernal can do now is work hard to get to that level. Believe me, it is hard work, and I am doing it. In fact, I believe I am at my best when there are injuries and setbacks.