On November 21, former Unbound Gravel 200 champion Ivar Slik (Wilier Triestina), allowed himself a second to acknowledge a six-month anniversary. The date was precisely half a 12 months since his 2024 season ended abruptly on a coaching experience within the US. He was 11 days away from competing for a fourth time in Emporia, Kansas at Unbound 200, however as an alternative, ended up in a hospital with an extended highway to restoration.
“It took a extremely very long time and the final weeks I can say it is again to regular,” the multi-discipline Dutch racer advised Cyclingnews. “I’m tremendous motivated for subsequent 12 months and I’m filled with ambition. I need to a minimum of equal my 2022 season and the prospects are good. This 12 months was an enormous setback however I’ve been working very onerous since then and I’m wanting ahead to subsequent 12 months with nice confidence.”
This previous Thursday additionally marked the day hundreds of elite and novice riders all over the world obtained lottery confirmations for Unbound entries from occasion proprietor/producer Life Time. Since Slik was not capable of experience this 12 months, he stated he can be there Could 31, 2025 on the beginning line.
“Unbound is the final word gravel race of the 12 months. Now, the World Championships are additionally there, however Unbound, it is larger than the Worlds,” assessed Slik, having competed for the Netherlands twice on the UCI Gravel World Championships, however missed the 2024 version because of the Could 21 crash.
The 31-year-old made historical past in 2022 as the primary non-US rider to win the epic off-road race. He transitioned in 2021 from a 10-year professional highway profession and seaside racing with some mountain bike and gravel racing, ending 14th in his inaugural look in Kansas for the 200-mile assault within the Flint Hills.
Coated in mud the subsequent 12 months, he gained a dash in opposition to defending champion Ian Boswell, Keegan Swenson and Laurens ten Dam to say simply the second gravel race victory of his profession. His first victory got here in Spain at The Traka 200 earlier in Could. He took second at Gravel Locos in Texas resulting in his sprint in Kansas. He added second place later within the season in a muddy version of Gravel One Fifty within the Netherlands, which certified him for his first UCI Gravel World Championships.
The following 12 months he saved his momentum going with a win at Gravelicious in Arkansas, second at The Rift, third at Gravel Locos and fifth at The Traka 200. He completed Unbound 200, however had a number of mechanical points within the thick mud and completed thirty sixth.
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“I like the adventurous nature of gravel racing however I’m additionally performance-oriented. Unbound and the UCI collection can be my primary objectives for 2025,” he advised Cyclingnews about his return to competitors within the new 12 months.
“My private favorite races – Gravel Locos, Traka and The Rift – I can be on the begins. Additionally the Migration Gravel Race in Kenya and the Saga Gravel Race in Chile are excessive on my record, this appears to me an amazing journey.”
He’ll experience a fourth season for his Wilier Triestina sponsors and can pin on a race quantity for the primary time since Could at seaside races in Europe. In 2019 he was the European Seashore racing champion and gained the title in 2020.
“Now half a 12 months later, I’m completely happy to say that I’ve been again on the bike for 2 months and I can do full coaching weeks once more with out limitations. In December, I’ll return to competitors and I’ll experience seaside races this winter in preparation for the gravel season of 2025.
Recalling the catastrophe
Slik stated he ‘put all the things’ into his coaching and preparations for Unbound Gravel 200 this previous 12 months. And it was maybe a tribute to his nice bodily situation that he may survive the accidents that ended his 2024 season earlier than that race.
Niki Terpstra, Jasper Ockeloen and Thijs Zonneveld, shut associates and fellow gravel racers, had been with him at Gravel Locos after which travelled to Arkansas by automobile “to place the ending touches on our form and eventually in Kansas for the race. Nonetheless catastrophe struck”. On Could 21, a head-on collision with a truck on a rural grime highway “in the midst of nowhere” in Arkansas.
He was respiration after being struck however was unconscious. His associates put him behind the identical truck, as the driving force had stopped, and was pushed to a paved highway to satisfy first responders. A fireman referred to as for a trauma helicopter to move him to the hospital. Slik confirmed with Cyclingnews that he suffered a concussion, a damaged nostril, a crack in his cranium, a broken knee and a number of other different wounds. His first evening within the Fayetteville hospital he stated he had two minor mind hemorrhages.
“I had large bother speaking concerning the accident, and that is why I additionally went to psychologists to assist me speak about it. The unusual factor is that I suffered reminiscence loss, concerning the crash and the ten days that adopted. After 10 days I believed I crashed with only a concussion. Why is everybody so fearful?”
He stated his associates visited him daily within the hospital and he was capable of depart after 10 days. He expressed honest thanks for the assist of his Dutch associates, the driving force of the truck for serving to and the medical employees.
“My father had travelled to America and collectively we stayed in an Airbnb till the return flight on Monday, June 4. I had surgical procedure on my nostril and will stroll quick distances once more, however not with out ache due to my knee.
“Within the time that adopted, I had about 5 epileptic assaults, which is a results of the mind haemorrhage. Vibrant gentle was annoying however luckily, I didn’t endure from complications. I’m being handled by a neurologist in a Dutch hospital, and he assured me that I’ll get better fully, which is what the medical doctors stated in America too. This gave me loads of reassurance.”
He received again on his bike six weeks after the accident however skilled appreciable knee ache. An Orthopedic specialist was discovered and stated his meniscus “had folded backwards and doubled”. He was off the bike once more for surgical procedure.
“I needed to stroll with crutches for six weeks and was not allowed to place any weight on my knee. Nonetheless, my knee swelled up much more within the days after the operation after which it turned out that I received a bacterial an infection after the operation. Due to this, I needed to go below the knife once more adopted by six weeks of antibiotics, of which two had been via an IV within the hospital.
“An intense rehabilitation adopted and I went to the physiotherapist 4 occasions every week. I mainly needed to study to stroll once more and it was painful to see the season go on with out me. Thankfully, I made regular progress though it took time.
“This 12 months was a bit little bit of a misplaced 12 months, however I attempted to take the teachings realized with me. I realized loads about myself. I do know now that I like biking.”
