Fabio Casartelli Italian professional cyclist Date of Birth: 16.08.1970 Country: Italy

Biography of Fabio Casartelli

Fabio Casartelli was an Italian professional cyclist and the champion of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona in the 194 km road race. Tragically, he lost his life during the Tour de France. On July 18, 1995, during the 15th stage of the Tour de France, while descending the Porte d'Aspet mountain in the French Pyrenees at a high speed of about 90 km/h, Fabio and several other cyclists fell off their bikes due to an incorrect trajectory chosen for entering an almost 90-degree left turn. They suffered serious injuries as a result. One of the cyclists even went over the edge but miraculously survived, thanks to being rescued with a special rope. During that time, cyclists were not required to wear helmets (the question of whether a helmet would have saved Fabio's life remains open). As a result of the fall, Fabio Casartelli sustained life-threatening injuries to his face and head and passed away in the hospital in Tarbes due to a brain hemorrhage. This incident remains the only case in the history of the Tour de France where a cyclist died from injuries sustained in a bike accident. In memory of Fabio Casartelli, the Tour de France community and the Motorola team placed a memorial stone near the location of his fall. Since then, cyclists intentionally reduce their speed before entering this turn, combining the safety of the passage with the respect for the memory of the Olympic champion, Fabio Casartelli.