Double tragedy has struck Italian cycle racing after the Sports Director Stefano Martolini of the Italian cycling team – Viris Vigevano was hit and killed by a rider following a crash that occurred at the end of a bike race in Trofeo Castelfidardo in central Italy.
It was reported that nothing could be done to save the 41-year-old Martolini who was hit by the rider at approximately 60 kilometres per hour. It was reported that the 23-year-old cyclist, Nicola Venchiarutti of the Padova-based Work Service team struck another cyclist approximately 400 metres from the finish line. Martolini fell backwards upon impact, striking his head on the ground. He is believed to have died instantly.
Venchiarutti was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Ancona with two fractured dorsal vertebrae and underwent surgery. Work Service expressed its condolences to Martolini’s family following the tragic accident.
On the same weekend, it was reported that a cyclist participating in the Nove Colli cycling event died after going into cardiac arrest. Nove Colli held its first race in 1971, holding its 50th International race in 2021.
The Nove Colli website reported that on 22 May 2022 Franco Del Ciondolo died during the race after being taken ill. An ambulance present on route treated the rider before airlifting him to Cesena hospital. All attempts at resuscitation failed. Dr. Vladimiro Giovannini, health manager of the race said all organizers and volunteers were supporting the Franco family at this time.
Franco’s death is one more in a spate of cardiac arrests suffered by elite sports stars, musicians and young people over the past 12 months. It is unclear what caused the cardiac arrest.
