Pim Ronhaar narrowly escaped serious injury on Tuesday, after a crash during training. The 23-year-old Dutch rider riding for Lidl-Trek and Baloise Trek Lions shocked his Strava followers with a photo showing his significantly battered body.
On Strava, Ronhaar shared that things went completely wrong during a training session in Spain. "Crashed into the ravine, luckily walked away with just some bruises. Could have been a lot worse," he wrote with a sense of understatement.
Ronhaar personally thanked his teammate David Haverdings for helping him after the crash. The Dutchman must have been quite shaken as well. He also expressed gratitude to two Danish gentlemen who helped get his bike ready to ride again.
This incident adds to an already tough year for Ronhaar, who was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease. "This was a big mental setback for me. I’m currently on antibiotics, which are working, so I can finally ride again," he said at the time. It was another blow after he crashed in Hageland in June, forcing him to miss the Baloise Belgium Tour.
"Hopefully, I will get lucky again soon," Ronhaar wrote on his Strava account. Due to all the physical setbacks, his first stint with the Lidl-Trek road team was derailed, and it's still uncertain whether he will be able to start the cyclo-cross season in October in top shape.
The calendar for the new cyclo-cross season is now online! Check it out here. Or check out our general calendars for the remainder of the season for the men and women's races.