Steven de Jongh says he will be back after suffering severe concussion in crash

A major search operation was launched after de Jongh’s wife reported him missing

Steven de Jongh suffered a severe concussion after a crash during a training ride
Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Trek-Segafredo directeur sportif Steven de Jongh says he will be back after he went missing and suffered a severe concussion following a crash in Spain.

The retired racer turned director was reported missing by his wife on Monday, October 15 after he didn’t return from a training ride near Girona.

Emergency services launched a search and the 44-year-old was found unconscious in a ravine by rescue helicopter.

Posting on Instagram a week after the crash, de Jongh said: “One week ago around this time, family and friends were very happy with the news I was found.

“Thanks to my great wife Renee who responded so quickly.”

He added: “My health is going in the right direction but I know it will take time to come back. But I will be back.”

De Jongh thanked his Trek-Segafredo team, the emergency services, and people on Strava and Twitter for their help in finding him.

De Jongh’s wife Renee posted on Twitter asking for help in finding her husband after he did not return from a ride.

His Strava had stopped recording around 60km into the route and the ride had been uploaded to the site.

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De Jongh was found by rescue teams and taken to hospital.

He was discharged the following day.

Trek-Segafredo said on Twitter: “Steven was discharged from the hospital this afternoon.

“He will further rest and recover from his injuries at home.

“He’s still very much affected by what happened and is overwhelmed by all your kind messages and support and says ‘thank you’ to all of you.”

A photo posted by on

De Jongh is a retired professional who rode for Rabobank, Quick-Step and Sky during his career from 1995 to 2010.

He worked as a directeur sportif with Team Sky before leaving the team for Tinkoff, then joining Trek-Segafredo in 2016.

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.