Estela Domínguez is a promising young cyclist. The young woman has been driving for a professional team for the first time since the beginning of the year. But the young career ends tragically: Domínguez dies in a training accident.
According to her team, the 18-year-old Spanish cyclist Estela Domínguez was run over by a truck during training near Salamanca and died at the scene of the accident. The death of the young athlete, who was considered a promising young talent and riding for Team Sopela, caused grief and dismay in the Spanish cycling scene. "It cannot be put into words. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Estela Domínguez and especially to her father, who I was in the same squad with in my early years," wrote 2018 World Road Champion Alejandro Valverde on Twitter .
The young woman's funeral took place on Saturday in her hometown of Íscar, about 160 kilometers north-west of Madrid, according to the newspaper "El Norte de Castilla". "We can only remember and appreciate Estela's great example and her human qualities. To all motorists: May this horror help ensure that something like this never happens again," wrote the Sopela team on Facebook.
It is unclear exactly how the accident occurred late Thursday afternoon in the area where two expressways crossed. "The driver, known to a friend of mine, who had a negative breathalyzer test, says he couldn't see in the sun. He caught her from behind," a mechanic for Spain's national team told Marca newspaper. "She didn't die instantly. She was unconscious and had a heart attack, but when paramedics arrived they were unable to revive her." Spanish media had also reported a possible hit-and-run.
Estela's father, Juan Carlos Domínguez, was also known as a cyclist. He competed in the Giro d'Italia and the 2000 Summer Olympics. In Spain there are hardly any cycle paths, especially outside of the cities. While bicycles only play a minor role as a means of transport in everyday life, there are many riders on professional racing bikes who mostly travel in groups on busy roads at weekends.
