The tragic death of 19-year-old cyclist Sara Piffer has sent shockwaves through Italy, igniting calls for urgent reforms in road safety. Piffer, a promising cyclist from Trento, was struck by a car while training on a straight road near her home. The young athlete succumbed to her injuries in the hospital, leaving her family, friends, and the cycling community devastated.
Sara’s death is not an isolated incident. According to official statistics, 204 cyclists lost their lives on Italian roads in 2024, a grim reminder of the dangers cyclists face daily. Francesco Moser, a former Giro d’Italia winner and a resident of the same village as the Piffer family, expressed his outrage. “We’ve got to stop this massacre,” he told Tuttobiciweb. “There are far too many tragedies on the roads, far too many deaths. We must act now.”
The fatal collision occurred as a car overtook another vehicle on the opposite lane. The driver allegedly struggled to see Piffer and her brother due to the sun’s glare. While Sara suffered fatal injuries, her brother Christian miraculously escaped with minor wounds. Witnessing the incident firsthand, Christian recounted the harrowing moments: “I heard a noise, looked back, and ran to my sister, but there was nothing I could do.”
Sara’s mother, Marianna, spoke of her heartbreak as she prepared for her daughter’s funeral, which will be held on Monday. “They asked me to choose her funeral clothes, and I picked a cycling jersey she won last year. It says ‘winner’ on the front, and she dedicated that victory to another cyclist, Matteo Lorenzi, who also died last year,” she told La Repubblica. Marianna recalled her last conversation with Sara before her training ride. “I told her to be careful. She replied, ‘The others need to be careful because they don’t understand the risks we take.’”
Piffer was an accomplished cyclist, part of the Mendelspeck Continental women’s team. Her impressive achievements included winning the U23 Giornata Nazionale Rosa in 2024 and securing a fourth-place finish in a team time trial at the Italian National Championships. In 2023, she achieved top-ten finishes at the Italian Junior National Championships.
As Italy mourns Sara’s untimely death, her story has reignited debates on road safety for cyclists. Advocates are demanding stricter traffic laws, better infrastructure, and increased public awareness to prevent further tragedies. “How many more lives need to be lost before real change happens?” Moser asked—a question that resonates far beyond Italy’s borders.
