Italian Cyclist Dies at 19 After Hitting Speed Bump During Race: ‘Unimaginable’

NEED TO KNOW

• An Italian cyclist died during the first leg of the Giro della Valle d'Aosta race in northwest Italy on Wednesday, July 16
• 19-year-old Samuele Privitera died after hitting a speed bump and losing control of his bike, leading him to crash and hit his head
• Privitera was remembered as "a bright light" by his team in an emotional memorial post Thursday

A 19-year-old Italian cyclist died after hitting a speed bump during the Giro della Valle d'Aosta in northwest Italy, causing him to lose control of his bike, crash, and hit his head.

Samuele Privitera, the cyclist, was taken to a nearby hospital in Aosta where he was later pronounced dead on Wednesday, July 16, according to the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI).

The FCI said in a statement Thursday that the “circumstances of the accident,” which occurred during the downhill stretch 32 kilometers from the finish line, “are still unclear.”

"Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team," the cyclist’s team, Hagens Berman Jayco, wrote in a post on Instagram announcing his death. "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."

Privitera’s team said the second stage of the race had been canceled for Thursday in Passy, Italy, and will instead resume Friday. “This will be preceded by a moment of remembrance, and the initial section of the stage will be neutralized in memory of Samuele,” the cycling team announced via the FCI. “All formal ceremonies are canceled until the end of the event.”

Privitera was in his second year racing with Hagens Berman Jayco. The Soldano, Italy native was also remembered by his management agency in another emotional tribute on Instagram.

“Samu, wherever you were, there was light,” TEAMVISION Cycling, the management agency, said in its post. “And wherever you are now, your exuberance will continue to illuminate every space. You touched so many lives — with your spirit, your energy, your smile. You will remain forever in our hearts.”

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Meanwhile, the FCI memorialized Privitera as “a generous athlete and a good climber."

FCI President President Cordiano Dagnoni also shared a statement expressing “his deepest sympathy to Samuele Privitera’s family” after the news of his death while vowing to improve riders' safety in future races.

"This news leaves us shocked and forces us to think even more decisively about how to make our races safer,” Dagnoni said. “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."

Riders in the Tour de France also held a tribute to Privitera Thursday, before starting the day's stage, The Associated Press reported.

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