Top gravel racer Ivar Slik sustained severe injuries while training in the United States on May 21.
The 30-year-old Dutchman, who was in the country to compete in the Unbound Gravel race, after a collision with a car. In 2022, he won the event. After the collision, Slik was transported to the hospital unconscious.
His teammate Jasper Ockeloen was also in the US training and updated the public about the accident.
“Some bad news from the states. Yesterday our friend Ivar crashed into a car during a joint training ride around Bentonville. He was transported to the hospital unconscious. There it was found that he had suffered several injuries. A severe concussion, a broken nose, a small crack in his skull and a lot of dents, scrapes and cuts,” the Instagram story read. “In the meantime, he is doing well under the circumstances and the doctors are positive. He’s conscious, he’s talking, and he’s moving his whole body. But he will be kept in the hospital for the next few days anyway so they can monitor him. We are very happy with all the (professional) help he gets and has received. He is not reachable and will not be on his bike for the time being.”
According to a report from Cyclingnews, Slik was moved out of ICU after several days. However, he continued receiving treatment for a severe concussion and underwent surgery for a broken nose earlier on Tuesday.
Compatriot Thijs Zonneveld confirmed that the procedure went well. “Just days after the crash, it was just all about being in the moment and that he rest as much as possible and that there were no more complications. The situation every day became better and better. The main thing is that he recovers. He’s doing really, really, really, really well considering the circumstances.”
Zonneveld added that he, Ockeloen and former road pro Niki Terpstra were training on a small gravel road in Arkansas.
“The four of us did a gravel ride for the first time, it was the second day we were here. We had a slight descent. Ivar and Jasper rode in front, Thijs and I were behind. We had a blind bend to the left. Out of nowhere a delivery truck comes around the corner. One or two seconds later there was a loud crash. Ivar drives head-on into that car,” Terpstra told Wielerflits.
Terpstra said he hit the front of the car, then went over the hood. They tried to call 911 but there was no reception.
“Ockeloen went back to the main road to call 911, and then after we saw that Ivar was able to move…
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