LINZ, Austria (AP) — A young Italian cyclist died after crashing during a junior race in Austria, organizers and his team said on Saturday.
The 17-year-old Jacopo Venzo succumbed to his injuries after crashing during the first stage of the race on Friday.
“The boy suffered a terrible fall yesterday on the downhill during the first stage of the Upper Austria Tour,” the Campana cycling team said on Facebook. “Jacopo was an extraordinary boy with a bright future in sports and especially in life, and for this reason it hurts even more.”
Upper Austria Classics said it called off the rest of the race.
“A 17-year-old young Italian rider suffered a serious fall while descending a long bend to the left in the Mistelbacher Berg area,” Upper Austria Classics said in a statement on its website. “The junior rider, who was on his own at the time of the crash, received first aid a few seconds later from the race doctors and paramedics, and, due to the severity of his injuries, he was flown to the Linz Kepler Clinic in a rescue helicopter. Despite all medical efforts, the cyclist succumbed to his serious injuries after admission.”
Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder died last month, one day after crashing and falling down a ravine during a descent at the Tour de Suisse.
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