"It has been 16 months..." - Year and a half after near-death experience, former Alpecin rider is once again a bike racer
CyclingSaturday, 12 September 2026 at 12:10
Juri Hollmann, former rider for Alpecin-Premier Tech, is returning to racing. The German rider has sustained life-threatening injuries after a crash at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, and has returned to the bike in recent months.
“It has been 16 months since my crash at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, and there has been a lot of hard work and rehabilitation involved," Hollmann said in a video shared on Instagram.
The German announced that he will take part in this Saturday's Lahti Gravel World Cup Series event, the area that will host the European Championships in 2027. Hollmann intends on performing, as a semi-professional rider now.
It marks a new stage in a recovery process that has taken him almost year and a half. "I didn’t expect it to take this long, but I kept going and didn’t give up".
That makes me even prouder to be here now. We’ll see what is possible, but the most important thing is that tomorrow I enjoy myself and get to race my bike again.”
Juri Hollmann racing for Alpecin-Premier Tech
Hollmann's near-death experience
Back in March, Hollmann's experience was detailed in a documentary. The German rider was part of a crash at that year's Giro which took out dozens of riders. At high speed, he hit a traffic sign, which caused him serious and extensive injuries.
The 27-year old suffered severe compound fractures in his pelvis and arm, which in themselves already threatened to put an end to his career on the bike. But his life would also be put in jeopardy shortly after, as he had developed blood clots.
"I hit a traffic sign at 70 kilometers per hour. The doctors suspect my femur hit the sign, forcing it into my pelvis and causing a compound fracture," he said at the time. "Blood clots had completely blocked my lungs. It was a close call. Honestly, it's a miracle I survived".
Hollmann required 4 plates and 24 screws to stabilize all of the fractures he endured and spent three months in a wheelchair. His recovery process was lengthy and spent in more than one country. After leaving the wheelchair he still required crutches for two months, but the prospect of remaining a pro rider was not possible due to the extensive nerve damage he suffered which limited the amount of time he could spend on the bike.
Whilst a full-on return is not to be expected, Hollmann's return to official competition provides a glimmer of hope of a full recovery for the former World Tour pro, now set to compete in the European Gravel scene which features plenty of former top road riders.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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