Cycling’s Scarponi killed in training collision

VETERAN Italian Michele Scarponi was killed on Saturday after colliding with a van while out training on his bike, his Astana team said, plunging the cycling world into mourning.

“This is a tragedy too big to be written,” Astana said in a statement, paying tribute to the 37-year-old, who won the Giro d’Italia in 2011.

“Ciao Michele,” Astana wrote on Twitter.

The fatal crash happened at a crossroads near his home in centra l Ita ly, a nd he leaves behind a wife, Anna, and t wo children, Astana said.

Cit i ng pol ice sources, t he Ita l ia n daily Il Resto del Carlino said t hat t he dr iver of t he veh icle “did not see” Scarponi.

The cycling star, whose professional career began in 2002, was in the twilight of his career but proved his enduring quality last Monday when he took his first victory in four years in the opening stage of the Tour of the Alps.

He outsprinted Briton Geraint Thomas and Thibaut Pinot of France to claim the early lead of the race, a key warm-up event ahead of next month’s Giro d’Italia, the first of the year’s Grand Tours.

Scarponi was gearing up for another tilt at the Giro, which starts on May 5 in Sardinia, when the collision occurred in Filottrano, in Ancona province.

He was set to lead the Astana team at the showpiece after injury to Fabio Aru.

“Immense tragedy. There are no words. Rest in peace my friend,” Aru tweeted.

Scarponi won the 2011 Giro after Alberto Contador was stripped of the title for doping. The Italian was himself suspended for doping for 18 months between 2007 and 2008.

Contador was among the first to express his shock, tweeting that he was “paralysed and speechless”.

He described Scarponi as “a great person and always with a contagious smile”.

Astana said Scarponi had gone home after finishing fourth on Friday in the Tour of the Alps and spent the evening with his young family.