Adriano Malori was supposed to be one of the best time triallists in professional cycling, but a high-speed crash at the Tour de Saint Louis effectively ended his career and dramatically changed his life. The Italian suffered mentally and physically to make a comeback and is now writing a book that reveals how he fought to rebuild his life and become a coach as a way to stay in the sport.

The book is titled "Rialzati" - "Get Back Up."

"My book is about hope and about understanding the real problems in life," Maroli explained in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"People often say, 'Never give up.' It has become such an obvious slogan, but when things get really difficult, the only thing you can do for yourself is not to give up. Depression is cowering in the corner and the black dog (as Churchill called the feelings of depression) is about to attack you. In that moment, you have to find the strength to swim back up the river. It can be done.

"Now I can laugh at life's little problems. I used to get angry when the car mechanic put the wrong wheel on my car or when the restaurant I went to was full. In rehab after my accident, I saw kids fighting to be able to lift their arms. That kind of thing opens your eyes about life."

Malori's life changed forever on stage 5 of the 2016 Tour de Saint Louis. While towing his peloton at over 60 km/h, he hit a pothole in the road and fell, sustaining serious facial and brain injuries. He fell into a coma and was transported to a specialized clinic in Buenos Aires. Malori then returned to Europe and underwent a long period of rehabilitation at a specialized clinic in Pamplona with the support of the Movistar team.

Malori fought the doubts of several doctors and recovered from the right brain injury that had limited the use of his right arm and shoulder. Eight months after the crash, he returned to racing in a World Tour race in Canada, but unfortunately crashed again in Milan-Torino, breaking his collarbone; he tried to race again in 2017, but realized it was time for a change.

"My goal in life was to do something special in the motorcycle world. I can't do that as a racer and it will be a different path," he said when he announced his retirement in July 2017.

"My recovery has been impressive. That's not what I said, that's what the doctors said. People with these problems can be inspired by those who have recovered. This is an important part of my story; it's a message of hope.

"I am not a special person, but I refused to sit in a wheelchair. I want to bring smiles and hope to others. Not everyone will be cured, and I am not a doctor, but I want to give them hope and encouragement."

Maroli has set up a modern coaching service called 58x11 near his home in Parma. In his career, Malori was the 2008 under-23 time trial world champion and placed second in the elite time trial at the 2015 Road World Championships in Richmond.

"I am so happy to share the excitement of success with athletes. I'm doing a job I love and using my professional experience to help others," he explained.

In his book, Malori reveals that doctors once told him that he would only be able to ride his bicycle to the store and that he would never return to full health due to brain damage. However, Malori still rides his bicycle, proving that the doctors were wrong.

"The doctor said if I proved him wrong, he would take me out to dinner. I want to go with my wife Giorgia, who helped me during a difficult time," Malori concluded.