Samuele Privitera (4 October 2005 – 16 July 2025) was an Italian road cyclist.[1] He competed in the under-23 category and rode for the UCI Continental development team .[2]

Early life and career

Privitera was born in Imperia, Italy on 4 October 2005.[3][4][5] He began cycling competitively at a young age and progressed quickly through the junior ranks. By 2024, he had joined the development squad of Hagens Berman Jayco, a feeder team for UCI WorldTeam Team Jayco–AlUla.[6]

Privitera achieved notable results in the under-23 circuit, including a top-three finish in a stage of the 2024 Giro Next Gen,[7] and participation in professional-level races such as the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali with his development team.[8]

Death

On 15 July 2025, during the first stage of the Giro della Valle d'Aosta, Privitera crashed while descending at high speed (approximately 70 km/h) in the town of Pontey, in the Aosta Valley. According to the Norwegian tabloid newspaper Verdens Gang, he struck a bump or road irregularity, lost his helmet, and crashed into a metal fence.[9] He suffered severe head trauma and went into cardiac arrest.[10]

He was resuscitated on-site and transferred to Umberto Parini Hospital in Aosta, where he died the following day, 16 July 2025, at the age of 19.[11][12]

Major results

2022
5th Overall Giro della Lunigiana
8th Trofeo Buffoni
2023
1st Coppa 1 Maggio
3rd Trofeo Buffoni
3rd Gran Premio Sportivi di Loria
4th Road race, National Junior Road Championships
6th Trofeo Emilio Paganessi

References

  1. ^ Lund, Tommy (17 July 2025). "Top cyclist, 19, dies after mid-race crash in Italy". The Independent. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Samuele Privitera". FirstCycling. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  3. ^ Autieri, Alessandro (29 November 2023). "Avere le idee chiare" (in Italian). Alvento. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  4. ^ "Muere Samuele Privitera, ciclista italiano de 19 años, tras una caída en el Giro del Valle de Aosta sub-23" (in Spanish). El País. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Samuele Privitera". Pro Cycling Stats. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  6. ^ Giardina, Benedetto (17 July 2025). "Italian cycling mourns loss of 19-year-old Samuele Privitera at Giro della Valle d’Aosta". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  7. ^ Vair, Michela (15 June 2024). "Giro Next Gen, Privitera influenzato arriva 3° a Zocca: «Risultato ottenuto con la determinazione»" (in Italian). Bicisport. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  8. ^ Marangoni, Marco (17 July 2025). "Morto Samuele Privitera, il 19enne ciclista caduto al Giro della Valle D'Aosta". Agenzia Giornalistica Italia. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  9. ^ Sørli, Kasper (18 July 2025). "Sykkeltalentet Samuele Privitera (19) døde i sykkelulykke" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  10. ^ Neumann, Sean (17 July 2025). "Italian Cyclist Dies at 19 After Hitting Speed Bump During Race: ‘Unimaginable’". People. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Morto Samuele Privitera, corridore 19enne caduto al Giro della Valle d'Aosta" (in Italian). Sky Sport. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  12. ^ Millar, Colin (17 July 2025). "Cyclist Samuele Privitera, 19, dies after crash at Giro della Valle d’Aosta". The New York Times. The Athletic. Retrieved 18 July 2025.