Soudal Quick-Step rider Gianmarco Garofoli has become the latest professional cyclist to fall victim to dangerous driving while training, after a motorist – alleged to have been travelling at over 100kph, “well over” the speed limit – struck him from behind, before fleeing the scene.
The 23-year-old Italian rider was training in Tenerife when he says he was hit by the speeding driver, after starting his 2026 season at the AlUla Tour last week, where he finished 20th on the general classification.
In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday evening, Garofoli claimed that the motorist – seemingly oblivious to the cyclist’s presence on the road, despite his hi-vis Soudal Quick-Step jersey and flashing red light – failed to slow down or even move as he passed, hitting him with the front of his car and wing mirror, which broke off in the collision, before driving on.
Garofoli managed to escape without suffering any fractures, but was left with bruises and feeling “completely overwhelmed” by the incident. However, on his way back to his team hotel, he spotted the car involved in the crash, enabling the local police to swiftly identify the driver.
“I’m struggling to find words today. These photos tell a moment that has marked me more than I can explain,” the 23-year-old said in a statement on Instagram.
“I was run over by a hit and run: he was coming from behind at full speed, over 100 kph, well over the limit.
“I was perfectly visible: I was wearing a yellow sleeveless shirt and had the back flashing red light on. Nevertheless, he hasn’t slowed down, hasn’t moved, hasn’t done anything. Snuck up behind my shoulder and hit me with the [wing] mirror and the front of the car.
“In that moment I realised that if it had hit me completely, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”
He continued: “After the impact, I felt helpless, fragile, and completely overwhelmed by something I had no control over.
“But the worst thing wasn’t just the bump: it was seeing that he didn’t stop. He ran away, leaving me there on the pavement, as if my life didn’t matter to him.
“When I was returning to the hotel still in shock, I saw a white Seat that perfectly matched the car that had hit me. The mirror was broken… the same one I had picked up from the floor a few minutes earlier.
“I immediately called the Civil Guard, who handled the case and identified the driver. I then went to the hospital: luckily nothing was broken, just a lot of bruises on the left side of my body. Inside, though, something’s broken anyway.”
The 23-year-old, who finished fourth on the penultimate stage of last year’s Giro d’Italia to Sestrière (the scene of Simon Yates’ pink jersey-winning raid) then reminded motorists of their responsibility to look out for vulnerable road users.
“I share all of this not to create controversy, but to remember how unarmed we are on the road and all it takes is one second, one wrong choice, to change a life,” he said.
“This is how it goes today. Tomorrow we start again, with a little more fear, but with so much gratitude to still be here.”
Unfortunately, Garofoli isn’t the only professional cyclist to call for drivers to give cyclists respect on the roads following a crash this winter.
In November, TotalEnergies rider Thibault Guernalec spoke out about the inherent risks associated with life as a professional cyclist after admitting he came “within a hair’s breadth of being in a wheelchair” following a high-speed head-on collision with a motorist during a training ride in Brittany.
Guernalec’s collision with a motorist came in the same week Lorena Wiebes revealed that she had been struck from behind by a hit-and-run driver while riding her e-mountain bike at home in the Netherlands, adding to the ever-increasing catalogue of pro cyclists involved in driver-related crashes this year.
“For the person who hit me and didn’t stop – luckily I’m quite okay but this could be way worse, especially because I got hit from the back,” the five-time Tour de France Femmes stage winner posted on Instagram, alongside a photo of her damaged bike.
“Thanks to the two [people] who stopped to check I’m okay. Also more frustrated if you see how many cyclists get killed by cars.”
And earlier that month, Belgian cyclocross champion Marion Norbert Riberolle required stitches for a deep leg wound and warned drivers to “be careful” after she was struck by a motorist during a training ride.
6 thoughts on “Pro cyclist struck by speeding 100kph driver in alleged hit and run – despite being “perfectly visible” with hi-vis jersey and flashing light”
The reason the driver didn’t see you was probably because they weren’t looking. People like that should never be allowed to drive again or they should have to legally have devices in their car to track their concentration, speed, location etc at all times.
It must be awful to know that you career relies on you sharing the road with absolute cunts like this and just how close you came to losing your life. All because someone can’t pay attention to driving a 2 tonne lump of metal.
Of course it’s the cyclist’s fault! (Choose your justification) He came out of nowhere. He swerved in front of me. The sun was in my eyes. I didn’t see him. His light was too dim. He was going faster than I thought. I thought I had enough room. He hit >me<. I'm the mayor's / councilman's / police chief's son/daughter/spouse/…..
On the infamous Costa Blanca, some local nutters have a new scary game – they squeeze lone cyclists against the kerb, exit roundabouts without light indicators, stop-and-go in narrow streets. As if thumb pins on the roads weren’t enough.
Tenerife is not the southern coast of Spain (Benidorm, Alicante, Calpe etc). That’s the Costa Blanca. Fortunately, I’ve never had a problem when I’ve cycled alone there or in Tenerife. Europe does get nutters from others reports but they seem to come down harder on them and/ or there is more affinity with cyclists, so compared to the UK its tame. I wonder if it was a hire car and a British driver :-/
An “alleged” hit and run? Does someone think Garofoli is lying?
An “alleged” hit and run? Does someone think Garofoli is lying?