Well-known German cyclist and social media influencer Laura Viktoria Härtig has died aged 30, nineteen days after a serious road collision while riding in Italy’s Dolomites. Härtig, from Penzberg in Bavaria, passed away on Sunday 13 July 2026 at a specialist clinic in Murnau, Germany, where she had been transferred to receive treatment closer to her family.
The collision occurred on Tuesday 23 June 2026 on the SS242 state road at Passo Sella as Härtig descended towards Canazei on her bicycle. At a bend in the road, she collided head-on with a KTM motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction. The motorcycle was ridden by Peter Runggaldier, 57, a former Italian alpine ski racer who won a World Championship silver medal in 1991 and the Super-G World Cup title in 1995.
The impact was so severe that it snapped Härtig’s bicycle in two. She was airlifted to San Maurizio Hospital in Bolzano with life-threatening injuries before being transferred to the Murnau clinic on 9 July. Runggaldier suffered serious fractures but was never considered to be in life-threatening condition. He was taken to Santa Chiara Hospital in Trento for treatment.
Härtig had married her husband, Tilman, just days before the crash, having chosen the Dolomites as the setting for their wedding and honeymoon. An experienced mountain biker with a large social media following, she regularly documented her rides and hikes across the region.
Prosecutors in Trento are investigating the circumstances of the collision, with authorities examining whether any criminal charges, including vehicular manslaughter, may be warranted.
Her death is the latest in a series of fatal cycling incidents across Italy this summer, reigniting debate over road safety for cyclists sharing mountain roads with motor traffic.
Photo Credit: Polizia Val di Fassa
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