A 19-year-old Italian cyclist has died after crashing during the opening stage of the Giro della Valle d'Aosta in northwest Italy on Wednesday.
Samuele Privitera apparently struck a speed bump and lost control of his bicycle on a downhill section of road, 32 kilometres from the finish line, according to the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI).
The teenager hit his head in the crash and was resuscitated at the scene before being transported to hospital in Aosta, near the French and Swiss borders, where he later died.
The FCI stated that the exact circumstances surrounding the fatal incident remain unclear and are under investigation.
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|Samuele Privitera tragically died after hitting a speed bump that caused the crash
Axel Merckx, general manager and owner of Privitera's team Hagens Berman Jayco, paid an emotional tribute to the young rider.
"Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team," Merckx said. "To lose him is devastating beyond words."
He described Privitera as someone who "loved the bike, he loved the camera, he loved to smile, he loved to laugh, but most of all he loved his family and his team-mates."
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Samuele Privitera was described as the 'life and personality' of his team
Three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar also expressed his grief, calling it "really sad to lose another young talent."
"It's a dangerous sport, one of the most dangerous in the world and the risks we are taking sometimes is too far," Pogacar said.
The Giro della Valle d'Aosta organisers cancelled Thursday's second stage in Passy following Privitera's death.
The race will resume on Friday with the third stage, which will begin with a moment of remembrance. The initial section will be neutralised in memory of the young cyclist.
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All formal ceremonies have been cancelled for the remainder of the event, with organisers leaving teams free to decide whether to continue racing.
The Giro della Valle d'Aosta is a five-stage race for under-23 riders that began on Wednesday and is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
Several teams expressed their condolences, including Ineos Grenadiers, whilst riders in the Tour de France held a tribute before Thursday's stage.
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The Giro della Valle d'Aosta organisers cancelled Thursday's second stage in Passy following Privitera's death
FCI president Cordiano Dagnoni said the tragedy "leaves us shocked and forces us to think even more decisively about how to make our races safer."
He revealed that the federation had already established a commission to develop safety proposals and constantly updates regulations annually.
"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," Dagnoni stated.
Privitera's management agency, Teamvision Cycling, remembered him as someone whose "exuberance will continue to illuminate every space."
Eight-time Olympic medallist Bradley Wiggins was amongst those paying tribute on social media.