Egan Bernal escaped serious injury from a crash at the Colombian national championships on Sunday and insisted he is ready for the upcoming Tour Colombia 2.1 stage race despite suffering a major road rash.

The 2019 Tour de France winner slipped on a sweeping descent in the final hour of the road race in Colombia's Tunja region, with fans along the roadside capturing the moment and posting videos on social media.

Bernal appeared to lose control of his bike and slid down the road toward the curb. He sustained visible injuries to his lower back, back, and left arm, but eventually got back on his bike and rejoined the chase group.

Despite the pain, Bernal fought his way to the podium and won the battle for second place behind winner Sergio Higuita (EF Pro Cycling). Higuita's teammate Daniel Martinez finished third, just days after winning the time trial title.

"It was painful. It was a big crash, but I should be happy because I just lost a little bit of skin, no broken bones or anything," Bernal explained.

"I could have continued racing, but after the crash I told Sosa that he should be the new leader. After the crash, initially I wasn't sure if I could finish the race. But after the crash I told Sosa that he should be the new leader.

Bernal has suffered a number of crash injuries in his short career. He broke his collarbone in training, which prevented him from competing in the 2019 Giro d'Italia, and he crashed face-first at the 2018 Clasica San Sebastián, undergoing nose and chin surgery.

He began the 2020 season with the Colombian championships, finishing third in the individual time trial on Friday. Bernal teamed up with Ineos teammates Ivan Sosa and Sebastian Henao in the road race, but after Bernal crashed, Sosa also crashed hard, forcing a late change in tactics for Team Ineos.

"He [Sosa] went to the front with Higuain and we knew we had a good rider at the front of the race. Then it was a matter of controlling the group behind," Bernal explained.

"We were comfortable, but on the last lap I saw Higuchi. I didn't know what happened to Sosa, so Seb [Henao] started pulling hard to close the gap. I was going for the silver medal. In the final I didn't feel great after the crash, but I was able to sprint and get second place.

"I am happy because I got the silver medal after the crash. I think the team did a really good job and I would have liked to fight for the win more. But we did a good job and we kept fighting and got on the podium. For the Colombian fans and for my teammates, two races, two podiums - I'm ready for the Tour of Colombia."

The six-day Tour Colombia 2.1 begins on February 11, and Bernal will lead Team Ineos. He won this race in 2018 and finished fourth in 2019, behind Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana).