The French Angoulême Vélo-Club made a sad announcement late last Saturday, confirming in a press release that one of their young junior riders, Tristan Merle, died while on a club training ride in southwestern France.

TRISTAN MERLE HAS LEFT US

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Tristan Merle, licensed to Angoulême Vélo Club, which occurred today during the weekly training organized by the club, following an accident.

Tristan was a valued member of the club, and his sudden disappearance upsets us deeply.

All leaders, volunteers, coaches and licensees send their most sincere condolences to his family, loved ones and friends, and show them all their support in this painful ordeal.

French Gendarmerie report Merle, 17, collided head-on with an automobile after suddenly moving left out of a 20 rider group and into oncoming traffic around 02:15 near the town of Bouëx. He died instantly from the force of the impact.

Emergency services were alerted to the crash immediately, with club officials rushing to the scene and requesting the establishment of a counseling support unit for those struggling with the tragedy.

Angoulême Vélo Club states their group training sessions
are organized according to established French Cycling Federation safety principles. These include: 1) the presence of a follow support vehicle equipped with a flashing light to ensure visibility and safety for the group, 2) the presence of experienced ride leaders responsible for supervising the group and ensuring compliance with instructions, 3) a pre-defined route with GPS data distributed the day before and 4) allowing each trainee to know the itinerary.

It is unknown why or what caused Merle to move out of line in the cycling group, with police now investigating all circumstances surrounding the tragic crash.

A avid mountain biker, Merle had just celebrated his 17th birthday two weeks ago and was training to try out a new discipline in 2026 – road racing.

The French regional Nouvelle-Aquitaine cycling committee issued the following statement: “In these tragic circumstances, the regional committee extends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, as well as to the leaders of the Angoulême Cycling Club and all his teammates.”

In statements to Charente Libre, Nouvelle-Aquitaine President Vincent Dedieu added a heartbreaking, “We are four days until Christmas. Losing a 17-year-old cannot be accepted.”

Photo Credit: Angoulême Vélo-Club

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