Riders at the Tour de France stood in silence ahead of Stage 12 on Thursday to honour Samuele Privitera, a 19-year-old Italian cyclist who died following a crash on Wednesday at the Tour of Valle d’Aosta. Many, including Jayco Alula’s Ben O’Connor, also wore black armbands during the stage. Jayco Alula is the WorldTour partner of Privitera’s Continental team.
Privitera, a member of the Hagens Berman Jayco development squad, died on a descent. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he was going downhill at nearly 70 km/h. He then struck a barrier and lost his helmet. The incident was just 35 km from the finish.
He was revived at the scene after suffering a serious head injury and cardiac arrest. The rider was then transported to Umberto Parini Hospital in Aosta in critical condition. He died later that evening.
Race director Filippo Borrione said emergency services responded immediately. “We are devastated by what happened,” he said. “We believe we did everything possible to ensure rider safety.”
Organizers said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Axel Merckx, director of Hagens Berman Jayco, described Privitera as “irreplaceable.”
“Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team,” Merckx said in a statement. “His joy, his spirit, his kindness — he was always a bright light. To lose him is devastating beyond words.”
Some of his his top results include a second-place finish on a stage at the 2025 Istrian Spring Tour and third on a stage at the 2024 Giro d’Italia Next Gen.
Thursday’s stage of the Tour of Valle d’Aosta was cancelled. Organizers are allowing teams to decide whether they will continue in Friday’s third stage.
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