Italy cycling hopeful, 19, dies in road accident

"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," the association wrote on social media.

Piffer was part of the Mendelspeck team based near Bolzano, in the northern Italian region of Trentino-South Tyrol.

According to initial reports, she had been cycling in the area with her brother when a 70-year-old man driving in the other direction hit her while overtaking another vehicle.

The brother was said to be only slightly injured.

There have been numerous non-competitive road accidents involving professional cyclists in recent years.

In August 2023, Belgian cyclist Tijl De Decker, 22, died after colliding with the rear of a car in a training ride.

In November 2022, Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin was knocked over and killed by a truck.

In 2017, another Italian champion, Michele Scarponi, also died after being hit by a van whose driver was watching a video on his smartphone.