Alvaro Hodeg set for return at Giro di Sicilia after 18 months out of action

Álvaro Hodeg has not raced a bike competitively since the 3rd of October, 2021, finishing 8th at the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro. But at the upcoming Giro di Sicilia he will return to action and finally make his long awaited UAE Team Emirates debut.

It was in December of 2021 that Hodeg's life would be turned upside down when he was hit by a car during a training ride. So serious was the incident that not only was the Colombian sprinter's career at risk but he very life was almost ended.

"Anxiety grabs you and doesn't let go, but the key has been family and God, because they have given me a lot of patience. It's not easy," Hodeg said about his recovery in November of 2022.  "One is a high-performance athlete, but also a human being and pain does not respect. I had to put up with it, because the more one tolerates the pain, the better.”

Now after 18 months away and having to relearn how to walk, he is nearer a return than ever before with UAE Team Emirates set to give the former Tour de Pologne stage winner his first ride with the team he joined in 2022 from Deceuninck - Quick Step.