Teenage cyclist Venzo dies after crash in Austria

Italian cyclist Jacopo Venzo, 17, died after a crash during a race in Austria, his team, Campana Imballaggi Geo&Tex Trentino, said in a statement Saturday.

The crash occurred during the first stage of the Junioren Rundfahrt on Friday. Venzo was flown to the Kepler clinic in Linz in a rescue helicopter before succumbing to his injuries.

The tour was canceled Saturday.

“With tears in our eyes and devastated hearts we announce that our junior Jacopo Venzo has left us,” the team said. “The boy had been the victim of a very bad fall yesterday on the downhill during the first stage of the Tour of Upper Austria.

“Jacopo was an extraordinary young man with a future all to write in sports and especially in life, and for that it hurts even more. We ask that the family’s privacy be respected, and we thank everyone who will make us feel their support.”