An 18-year-vintage Italian cyclist, Francesco Mazzoleni, died on Sunday, February 15th, after being struck by a car during a training ride near Barzana, in northern Italy. The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of grief within the Italian cycling community.
Mazzoleni was riding for the Turin-based Goodshop Yoyogurt team. The team announced his death in a statement posted on Instagram, expressing their devastation at the loss. “It’s a very sad Sunday for us,” the statement read. “Our Francesco Mazzoleni leaves us too soon. He was hit while training on his home roads, while doing what he loved most. We all gather in a painful silence around Francesco’s family.”
The team described Mazzoleni as a rider with a bright future, adding, “We will always carry with us your smile and the determination that drove you to pursue your dream. You are and will always be one of our Orange riders.”
Tributes have been flooding social media, with fellow cyclists and fans expressing their condolences. Comments on the team’s Instagram post included messages of remembrance and shock, with one user writing, “goodbye franci thanks for the years together and the thousands of trainings.” Another wrote, “We love you so much and we will remember you forever.” A coach who worked with Mazzoleni for two years described him as “a special boy.”
According to ProCyclingStats.com, Mazzoleni was born on March 8, 2007, and was actively competing as a road racing cyclist. CyclingUpToDate.com initially reported the incident on Sunday afternoon, confirming that Mazzoleni had succumbed to his injuries following the collision.
The circumstances surrounding the accident are currently under investigation by local authorities. No further details regarding the driver or the cause of the collision have been released at this time.