Italian cycling is in mourning after under-23 cyclist Giovanni Iannelli died from head injuries sustained in a crash during a sprint at the end of a race in Piedmont on Saturday.
The 22-year-old from Prato in Tuscany hit his head on a concrete pillar at the end of the Trofeo Valle Scrivia race in Molino di Torti, reports the Giornale di Alessandrio.
The newspaper reports that the impact split Iannelli’s helmet in two.
He was taken to hospital in Alessandria by helicopter, where he remained in a coma and passed away on Monday morning.
His father, Carlo Iannelli, is the regional vice-president for Tuscany of the Italian cycling federation.
Iannelli rode for the Hato Green Tea Beer cycling team and raced in the Tour of Albania earlier this year, finishing 39th overall.
His funeral is due to take place at Prato cathedral on Friday.
1 thought on “Italian Under-23 rider Giovanni Iannelli dies after crash during race”
How sad! RIP.
How sad! RIP, condolences to his loved ones.
A harsh reminder that in the real world, especially while commuting by bicycle & not just races; a helmet offers very little or no protection.
When it comes to commuting, as well as racing of course,
PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) is at the very bottom of the Hierarchy of Safety controls;
there are other way more pressing issues.