All together, with hearts heavy with sadness and a question - why - that cannot be answered. All together, a caravan that ideally represents the entire world of cycling, all united in remembering Samuele Privitera.

This is how the International Giro della Valle d'Aosta Mont Blanc remembered the 19-year-old Ligurian rider who died on Tuesday during the first stage: in the front row, his parents, teammates, and staff of the Hagens Berman Jayco Team, which Samuele had been part of for two seasons.

Mother Monica asked the athletes to be strong, have courage, and race in the name of her son. Today's stage, whose first part was neutralized and will be approached at a reduced pace in tribute to Samuele, will end at the 2,400 meters of the Great St. Bernard Pass.

THE ACCIDENT. According to the reconstruction by law enforcement, Privitera lost control of his bicycle on a descent in the municipality of Pontey, likely due to a speed reducer. Sliding on the asphalt, he first hit another cyclist (who suffered a collarbone fracture), then - having lost his protective helmet - crashed into a roadside railing. The impact was extremely violent, and the boy went into cardiac arrest, which was a consequence and not the cause, as was initially hypothesized by several parties. The race doctor and the 118 Valle d'Aosta resuscitated him and transported him to the hospital, where Samuele passed away a few hours later due to the severity of his injuries.

MOMENTS OF TENSION. There was no peace at the Valle d'Aosta. After the first 40 km were neutralized and ran at a controlled pace, some athletes wanted to end the race. There were several minutes of discussion with the organizers, who left each athlete free to choose whether to continue or stop. The jury panel then imposed a two-minute countdown, and only then did the race resume its march towards the Great St. Bernard Pass.