Italian cyclist Samuele Privitera dead at 19 after crashing during race

Cyclist Samuele Privitera died from injuries he sustained in a crash Wednesday during the first stage of the Tour of Valle D’Aosta in Italy, his team announced. He was 19.

Privitera reportedly hit a speed bump, lost control of his bike and hit his head as he struck a barrier.

He crashed on a descent of about 35 kilometers from the finish in Aosta at a speed of almost 70 kilometers per hour, according to Italian media.

He reportedly lost his helmet in the process.

Race organizers said the circumstances of the crash were “still unclear and are being investigated by public safety authorities.”

Privitera was a member of the Hagens Berman Jayco team. The team’s director, Axel Merckx, released a statement on the teen’s death.

“Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team,” Merckx said. “This team has always been a small family, and moments like this are unimaginable. 

“He was irreplaceable. His joy, his spirit, his kindness was always a bright light to whatever room or race that he was in at that moment. To lose him is devastating beyond words.”

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Tour de France riders took a moment to applaud for a minute during the 12th stage of the race Thursday in honor of Privitera.

“It’s really sad to lose another young talent today. It’s devastating,” Tour de France favorite Tadej Pogačar said before Thursday’s stage. “It is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, I think, and the risk that we are taking sometimes is too far. But I’m really really really sad for all his family. May he rest in peace.”

The Tour of Valle D’Aosta was put on hold Thursday and will resume Friday.

“This news leaves us shocked and forces us to think even more decisively about how to make our races safer,” Italian Cycling Federation President Cordiano Dagnoni said in a statement. “The federation established a commission some time ago to develop proposals on this matter, and we constantly update the regulations every year to ensure such incidents never happen again. 

“We must intensify our efforts in this direction. It is an obligation we owe first and foremost to our young people, to our clubs and to our entire movement.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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