Moments of great fear yesterday for the Italian handbike champion Paolo Cecchetto who was hit by an SUV while training along provincial road 23 connecting Lomazzo and Bizzarone. According to initial reconstructions, the Olympic athlete and gold medalist from Rio 2016, who is 58 years old, was run over by a car that suddenly turned to enter a gas station parking lot without noticing the man.

The accident occurred on Saturday around noon on Via Salvo d'Acquisto, in the territory of Appiano Gentile. Several rescue vehicles arrived at the scene: Cecchetto suffered a tibial fracture and was transported to Sant'Anna Hospital in Como in yellow code: he is not in life-threatening condition. Due to extreme temperatures, one of the rescuers also suffered a medical episode and was taken to the emergency room.