Italian bike owner Samuele Privitera lifeless at 19 after crashing throughout race

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Bicycle owner Samuele Privitera died from accidents he sustained in a crash Wednesday throughout the first stage of the Tour of Valle D’Aosta in Italy , his group introduced. He was 19.

Privitera reportedly hit a velocity bump, misplaced management of his bike and hit his head as he struck a barrier.

He crashed on a descent of about 35 kilometers from the end in Aosta at a velocity of just about 70 kilometers per hour, in accordance to Italian media .

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Samuele Privitera of Italy and Workforce Jayco AlUla competes throughout the thirty ninth Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2025, Stage 4, 150.4 km stage from Brisighella to Brisighella al Cesena March 28, 2025, in Brisighella, Italy. (Dario Belingheri/Getty Photographs)

He reportedly misplaced his helmet within the course of.

Race organizers mentioned the circumstances of the crash had been "nonetheless unclear and are being investigated by public security authorities."

Privitera was a member of the Hagens Berman Jayco group. The group’s director, Axel Merckx, launched a press release on the teenager’s loss of life.

"Samuele was and at all times would be the life and persona of this group," Merckx mentioned. "This group has at all times been a small household, and moments like this are unimaginable.

"He was irreplaceable. His pleasure, his spirit, his kindness was at all times a vivid mild to no matter room or race that he was in at that second. To lose him is devastating past phrases."

Workforce Jayco Alula mourns the loss of life of Italian bike owner Samuele Privitera earlier than the beginning of the twelfth stage of the Tour de France in Hautacam, France, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photograph/Thibault Camus)

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Tour de France riders took a second to applaud for a minute throughout the twelfth stage of the race Thursday in honor of Privitera.

"It’s actually unhappy to lose one other younger expertise in the present day. It’s devastating," Tour de France favourite Tadej Pogačar mentioned earlier than Thursday’s stage. "It is among the most harmful sports activities on this planet, I believe, and the danger that we're taking typically is just too far. However I’m actually actually actually unhappy for all his household. Could he relaxation in peace."

The Tour of Valle D’Aosta was placed on maintain Thursday and can resume Friday.

"This information leaves us shocked and forces us to assume much more decisively about the best way to make our races safer," Italian Biking Federation President Cordiano Dagnoni mentioned in a press release. "The federation established a fee a while in the past to develop proposals on this matter, and we always replace the rules yearly to make sure such incidents by no means occur once more.

Australia's Ben O'Connor wears a mourning band after the loss of life of Italian bike owner Samuele Privitera, in Hautacam, France, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photograph/Thibault Camus)

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"We should intensify our efforts on this route. It's an obligation we owe initially to our younger folks, to our golf equipment and to our total motion."