Italian mountain bike racer Adele Cobelli, 14, died on Saturday 20 June 2026 after being struck by a car near her home in Pressano, a hamlet of Lavis in Trentino.
The crash occurred shortly before 13:00 as Cobelli was riding downhill on Via Sant’Antonio, near a bend known locally as the “Parcheggio di Pressano.” According to initial reports, a car travelling uphill in the opposite direction crossed into her lane and struck her head-on. The impact threw Cobelli over a roadside guardrail and into an adjacent field. Emergency responders, including local police, volunteer firefighters and paramedics, arrived quickly, but she died from her injuries at the scene.
Cobelli raced for ASD Bike Movement Trentino Erbe and was regarded as one of the region’s most promising young off-road cyclists, competing in both cyclocross and mountain biking. Last season she won the provincial championship in the Esordienti Donne second-year category and had continued to post strong results in 2026.
The Trento prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into vehicular homicide. Trentino provincial president Maurizio Fugatti described the death as “another unacceptable tragedy on our roads” and extended his condolences to Cobelli’s family, teammates and local community.
The Italian Cycling Federation ordered a minute of silence before all races scheduled for Sunday.
The tragedy marks the third young cyclist killed on Trentino roads in approximately two years, following the deaths of 17-year-old Matteo Lorenzi in May 2024 and 19-year-old Sara Piffer in January 2025. Both died in similar collisions while training, renewing calls within Italian cycling for stronger measures to protect riders on public roads.
Gran Fondo Daily News extends its sincere condolences to her family, teammates, and the wider Trentino cycling community.
Photo Credit: supplied
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