The cycling world came together in Liguria earlier this month to honour the memory of Samuele Privitera, the young Italian rider who tragically lost his life at just 19 during last year’s Giro della Valle d’Aosta. What began as a simple initiative among friends grew into a deeply moving tribute — one that even drew the sport’s biggest name, Tadej Pogačar, to attend.
According to Feltet.dk, Danish rider Asbjørn Hellemose, a close friend of Privitera, helped organize the memorial ride alongside former teammates and friends. The goal was just to remember Samuele on the roads he loved. The response, however, exceeded all expectations. Big time.
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“We only shared it on social media and hoped a few people would show up,” Hellemose said. “But when I arrived, there were hundreds. I tried counting — there had to be at least 200. It was overwhelming.”
Privitera was a member of the Hagens Berman Jayco development squad, died on a descent. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he was going around 70 km/h. After crashing, he struck a barrier and lost his helmet. The incident was just over 30 km from the finish.
After his death, the peloton at the Tour de France stood in silence ahead of Stage 12 to honour him. Many pros, including Jayco Alula’s Ben O’Connor, wore black armbands during the stage. Hagens Berman Jayco is the feeder team for O’Connor’s WorldTour team.
At the memorial ride, among the participants were both amateurs and professionals, including riders from Alpecin-Premier Tech and Picnic–PostNL. Pogačar travelled from Monaco to quietly join the ride, accompanied by Michael Matthews and Alessandro Covi. True to the spirit of the day, the Slovenian star kept a low profile, allowing the focus to remain on Privitera and his family.
Hellemose said that Pogacar’s presence meant a great deal, particularly to Samuele’s parents.
“He didn’t have to come. That’s what made it so special,” he said. Pogi had already paid tribute months earlier by dedicating a Tour de France stage victory to Privitera.
Privitera’s mother addressed the gathering before the ride, speaking about loss, pride, and moving forward. For Hellemose, seeing Samuele’s parents surrounded by support helped bring closure after a difficult year.
“It doesn’t erase the pain,” he said, “but it helped all of us take a step forward — together.”