Cyclists Mourn Samuele Privitera at Tour de France

Auch, France, Jul 17 (AP): Tour de France riders honored Samuele Privitera with a minute's applause before the start of the 12th stage on Thursday. The 19-year-old Italian cyclist tragically lost his life following an accident during a race in Italy on the previous day.

Privitera's fatal crash occurred during the Tour of Valle D'Aosta's first stage in Pontey, a municipality in northwestern Italy, on Wednesday. The race organizers have stated that the specifics surrounding the accident remain "still unclear and are being investigated by public safety authorities."

Privitera, a member of the Hagens Berman Jayco team, which serves as the development team for Jayco Alula, was commemorated by team members at the Tour de France, including Ben O'Connor, who donned black armbands in his memory.

"Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team," said Axel Merckx, team director of Hagens Berman Jayco, in an official statement. "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."

Reports from Italian media indicated that Privitera's crash transpired on a descent approximately 35 kilometers from the finish line in Aosta, where he was traveling at an estimated speed of nearly 70 kph. Unfortunately, he reportedly lost his helmet during the incident and collided with a barrier.

The second stage of the Tour of Valle D'Aosta was called off, and participating teams were offered the choice to decide whether or not to proceed with the third stage scheduled for Friday.

Tour de France cyclists also took to social media to express their condolences.

"Rest in peace," wrote race favorite Tadej Pogacar, who himself suffered a crash on Wednesday, on Instagram.

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