Hagens Berman Jayco rider Samuele Privitera passes away after crash on stage 1 of Giro della Valle d’Aosta

Hagens Berman Jayco announced late on Wednesday that rider Samuele Privitera passed away, with the 19-year-old Italian rider having been taken to hospital after crashing on stage 1 of the Giro della Valle d’Aosta.

“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,” said Hagens Berman owner and general manager Axel Merckx in a statement released by the team. “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.”