Who was Samuele Privitera
•Born 4 October 2005 in Imperia, Italy.
•He rode as a road cyclist, specializing as a climber.
•He was part of the development / U23 team Hagens Berman Jayco, which is a feeder squad for the WorldTour team Jayco-AlUla.
What happened — the crash
•The accident took place during the opening stage (Stage 1) of the Giro della Valle d’Aosta (an U23 / under-23 cycling race) in north-west Italy.
•It occurred during a descent, while going at high speed. Some reports estimate around 70 km/h (roughly 43–45 mph) at the point of the crash.
•He encountered a road irregularity or “speed bump” (i.e. a bump or defect in the road) which caused him to lose control.
•At some point during the crash, he lost his helmet. He then crashed into a fence or gate.
•He suffered severe head trauma, went into cardiac arrest, and was attended to immediately on site by race medical personnel.
Aftermath and medical
•He was transported to Ospedale Parini in Aosta (the hospital in Aosta)
•Despite resuscitation efforts and medical care, he died on 16 July 2025.
Reactions & Consequences
•His team, Hagens Berman Jayco, released a statement mourning him, describing him as “irreplaceable”, full of joy, and “always a light” in the room/race.
•The race organisers cancelled Stage 2 of the Giro della Valle d’Aosta.
•Ahead of Stage 3, a moment of silence was observed, and that stage’s start was neutralized (i.e. riders rode in mourning rather than racing immediately). Teams were given the choice whether to continue in the remainder of the race.
•Prominent riders such as Tadej Pogačar dedicated thoughts and, in his case, even gestures in the Tour de France to Privitera.
Investigations & Uncertainties
•The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation by local authorities. Specifically, whether the road conditions (bump or irregularity), the descent’s safety features, or other contributing factors played a role.
•It is not yet fully confirmed whether the helmet loss was before or after impact on the road irregularity, though many reports place the loss of helmet during or immediately after the bump/road defect.
