Slik is back six months after serious accident: "I have no memories of the crash or the 10 days after"

On May 21, 2024, everything changed for Slik. During a training ride in Arkansas, he collided head-on with a truck on a remote dirt road. The impact was huge: Slik suffered a concussion, a fractured skull, a broken nose, and a knee injury, among other injuries. He had to be taken by trauma helicopter to the hospital, where doctors later also diagnosed two brain hemorrhages.

"I have no memories of the crash or the 10 days after," he told Cyclingnews. "In my head, it was just a slight concussion; I didn't understand why everyone was so worried." Recovery was tough. He underwent multiple surgeries, suffered seizures as a result of the brain hemorrhage, and had to relearn how to walk after knee surgery and an infection that followed..

You would give up for less misery, but Slik buffered on. "It was painful to see the season slip by without me, but I knew I would be back. I learned much about myself and now know how much I love cycling." After months of rehabilitation and therapy, Slik has fully returned to the bike for two months. "I can do full weeks of training again without restrictions. I will start beach races in December to prepare for the 2025 gravel season."

In the new year, Slik is aiming for his favorite races like Gravel Locos, The Traka, and The Rift, as well as adventurous races like the Migration Gravel Race in Kenya and the Saga Gravel Race in Chile. But his ultimate goal is Unbound. "That's more than a race; it's an adventure. At least I want to equal my 2022 season, and the prospects are good. This year was a big setback, but I have been working very hard since then, and I am looking forward to next year with great confidence," said the Dutch rider.

In 2022, Slik became the first non-American to win the Unbound Gravel 200. In a heroic sprint in the mud, he defeated Ian Boswell and Laurens Ten Dam, among others. The following year, however, he experienced much bad luck and finished 36th due to mechanical problems.

In addition to his successes in Kansas, Slik won The Traka in Spain and Gravelicious in Arkansas and was a podium contender in races such as Gravel Locos and Gravel One Fifty in the Netherlands. He also rode the UCI Gravel World Championships for the Netherlands twice. Although 2024 was a "lost year," Slik confidently looks ahead. "I am incredibly grateful to my friends, family, and medical teams. Without them, this would not have been possible. It now feels like I've been given a second chance, and I will grab it with both hands."