“We are shocked. A few hours ago Michele Scarponi was here with us, a great protagonist and a stage winner at the Tour of the Alps ending in Trento.”
Michele Scarponi had just returned home on Friday after the Tour of the Alps and barely had time to rejoin his wife and kids. He had gone out for a short training ride the this morning when he was hit by a van who didn’t see him.
It’s a huge void and a huge pain for the whole cycling family. He was a champion on the road, and of sympathy too. At the starts, he was always willing and available for autographs, chatting, always smiling. We feel honored to have given him his final victory. But this also makes us feel even more involved in the grief of his beloveds.” These were GS Alto Garda President Giacomo Santini’s words on the tragical death of Michele Scarponi, who was fatally hit by a van during his training on bike.
The Astana team wrote: “This is a tragedy too painful to be written. Our athlete Michele Scarponi died this morning while he was training on his bike close to his home in Filottrano.
Michele Scarponi was born in Jesi on September 25th, 1979 and was 37 years old.
He finished fourth in the Tour of the Alps on Friday, first on stage 1. The most successful year in his career was 2011, when he won the Giro del Trentino and the Giro d’Italia, the latter following Alberto Contador’s disqualification.
