Tour de France Honors Late Cyclist Samuele Privitera

AUCH, France, July 17 (AP) – In a poignant tribute, riders at the Tour de France held a minute of applause ahead of the 12th stage on Thursday, honoring the memory of 19-year-old Italian cyclist Samuele Privitera. Privitera tragically lost his life following a crash during a race in Italy the previous day.

Privitera was participating in the initial stage of the Tour of Valle D'Aosta, located in the northwestern Italian municipality of Pontey, when the incident occurred on Wednesday. The race organizers have noted that the details surrounding the crash remain unclear and are currently being investigated by public safety officials.

Expressing deep sorrow, Tour de France favorite Tadej Pogacar, who himself experienced a crash on Wednesday, commented, "It's really sad to lose another young talent today; it's devastating. This is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, and sometimes the risks we take are too great. I'm really, really sad for all his family. May he rest in peace." Pogacar and others are clearly feeling the profound impact of this tragedy.

Privitera was part of the Hagens Berman Jayco team, the development squad for Jayco Alula, which is competing in the Tour de France. In tribute, team members, including Ben O'Connor, wore black armbands during the race.

Axel Merckx, the director of Hagens Berman Jayco, expressed his heartache in a statement: "Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team. 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 in any room or race he was part of. To lose him is devastating beyond words."

Reports from Italian media indicate that Privitera’s crash happened on a descent approximately 35 kilometers from the finish line in Aosta, with his speed nearing 70 kph. It was reported that he lost his helmet and collided with a barrier.

In light of the tragedy, the second stage of the Tour of Valle D'Aosta has been canceled. The teams participating in the event are being given the option to decide whether to proceed with the third stage scheduled for Friday.

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