Credit: Google
The second stage of the Tour of Valle D’Aosta was cancelled on Thursday, July 17, following a tragedy in the first stage of the men’s Under-23 cycling event held in the Aosta Valley. The participating teams were given a choice whether to continue with the third stage of the race on Friday. It was on Wednesday, June 16, when the first stage was going on in full swing, a sudden accident of 19-year-old cyclist Samuele Privitera brought the race to a halt.
Italian junior cyclist Samuele Privitera lost his life, following the accident during the first stage of the race near the French and Swiss border in north-west Italy. Post the accident, he was taken to a hospital in Aosta, where he later died. The Italian Cycling Federation (FCI) said circumstances around the incident were “still unclear” but Privitera “apparently hit a speed bump and lost control of his bike” and hit his head on a downhill stretch of a road 32km from the finish line. Italian media reports that Privitera crashed on a descent about 35km from the finish in Aosta at a speed of almost 70kmph. He reportedly lost his helmet before crashing into the barrier.
Riders at the Tour de France applauded for a minute in his memory
Before the 12th stage of Tour de France began on Thursday, July 17, the riders applauded for a minute in the memory of Samuele Privitera. He was a member of Hagens Berman Jayco team, the development team for Jayco Alla, which is racing at the Tour de France and whose members including Ben O’Connor wore black armbands. Tour de France riders also expressed their sorrows on social media. Three-time champion Tadej Pogacar, who himself crashed on Wednesday, wrote “Rest in Peace” on Instagram.
The Tour of Valle d’Aosta will resume with the third stage that has been moved to Friday, from the Pre Saint Didier to Col du Gran San Bernardo. Last year in July, 25-year-old Norwegian Andre Drege died during the Tour of Austria, and in 2023, Swiss rider Gino Mader lost his life on the Tour of Switzerland aged 26.
