Tragedy at the European Gravel Championships: Italian amateur cyclist dies of heart attack

A tragic incident occurred at the European Gravel Championships in Asiago, where Italian cyclist Silvano Janes sadly passed away. Competing in the amateur category, Janes suffered a heart attack during the race and died on the spot, as confirmed by authorities. After the professional race, the amateur competition was scheduled to take place, but the remaining riders were halted and were not allowed to continue. This is the second death of a cyclist during a race in a short time, following the recent passing of Muriel Furrer at the Swiss World Championships.

Janes was a household name in the Italian cycling community. He had been cycling his entire life and continued to train vigorously, often joining training rides with (former) professionals such as Francesco Moser, Gilberto Simoni — who referred to him as "the strongest rider he knew" — and Daniel Oss. Nicknamed "Tasso" by friends, Janes became the Masters World Champion in mountain biking in 2013 and was considered a pioneer of Italian mountain biking in his younger years.

Following his death, the remaining amateur racers were stopped at the finish line and did not complete the final laps. The professional riders, who had advanced further in their race, were allowed to finish. In the women’s race, Switzerland’s Sina Frei claimed the championship title, with Italy’s Silvia Persico and Alice Maria Arzuffi taking the other podium spots. In the men’s race, Czech rider Martin Stosek took the win, crossing the finish line solo ahead of Britain's Toby Perry and young Belgian Jenno Berckmoes.