Tragedy Strikes Italian Cycling: Sara Piffer Killed in Training Accident

Sara Piffer, a 19-year-old Italian cyclist, has died after being hit by a car during a training session.

Tragedy struck the Italian cycling community on Friday with the death of 19-year-old promising cyclist Sara Piffer. According to the Association of Italian Racing Cyclists (ACCPI), Piffer was hit by a car during a training session, resulting in fatal injuries.

The ACCPI expressed its condolences to Piffer's family, teammates, and loved ones, saying, “Our thoughts go to the family of our member, Team Mendelspeck, to her companions in the group and to all those who today are torn apart by the pain of yet another life cut short by violence on the roads.”

Piffer was a member of the Mendelspeck team, based in the northern Italian region of Trentino-South Tyrol, near Bolzano. Initial reports indicate that she was cycling with her brother in the area when a 70-year-old driver, attempting to overtake another vehicle, struck her. Piffer's brother sustained only minor injuries.

Percutée par une voiture alors qu'elle s'entraînait chez elle dans la région du Trentin, la jeune cycliste italienne Sara Piffer, 19 ans, a succombé à ses blessures
➡️ https://t.co/cfAd3GLLbB pic.twitter.com/5kdpnhZqYk

— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) January 24, 2025

This tragic incident is the latest in a series of non-competitive road accidents involving professional cyclists. In recent years, several cyclists have lost their lives in similar incidents, including Belgian cyclist Tijl De Decker (22), who died in August 2023 after colliding with a car during a training ride.

Other notable incidents include the deaths of Italian cyclists Davide Rebellin, who was killed by a truck in November 2022, and Michele Scarponi, who died in 2017 after being hit by a van whose driver was distracted by his smartphone. These incidents highlight the risks and dangers faced by cyclists on the roads.