Promising 18-year-old dies in training incident

Up-and-coming Spanish teenager Juan Pujalte has died following a training incident on Thursday. 

The 18-year-old, who rode for Valverde Team-Ricardo Fuentes, a team headed by former world champion Alejandro Valverde, was training in the Murcia region of Spain at the time.

The nature of the fatal incident is currently unknown, according to a report in El País. Pujalte is said to have suffered damage to his spleen and kidney, as well as a head injury and internal bleeding. 

In a post shared on Instagram, Valverde wrote that he was “shocked” by Pujalte’s death, describing the teenager as a “young man in love with cycling”. 

“A big hug and my deepest condolences to his family and friends in these difficult times,” the retired pro added. 

Pujalte’s team released an official statement on social media, writing: “Broken by pain, we regret to confirm the death of our colleague Juan Pujalte, member of Valverde Team-Ricardo Fuentes’ under-23 team. 

“Juan’s smile, his happiness and his passion for life and cycling will be in our hearts every day. 

“Our thoughts are with your family, friends and your team-mates. Rest in peace, Juan.” 

Born on 22 April 2005, Pujalte joined Valverde Team-Ricardo Fuentes in the winter of 2023, and had just made the step-up into the under-23 squad. 

He spent the previous two seasons in the junior ranks, racing almost entirely in his native Spain. Last year, he won the Junior Criterium Lorca and rode in the Spanish Championships alongside Murcia’s regional team. 

The Murcian Cycling Federation (FRM) mourned the loss of Pujalte with a post on X: “With all the pain in our hearts, we have to report the accidental death of Juan Pujalte Martinez, member of the Murcian Cycling Team. The great cycling family will miss you.”

Pujalte’s death comes six months after Belgian 22-year-old Tijl De Decker, winner of the under-23 Paris-Roubaix, died in a training crash. De Decker collided with the back of a car and was rushed to hospital, where he was put in an induced coma. He died the following morning.   

"We are devastated by the loss of our cyclist," said Stéphane Heulot, the CEO of De Decker's team, Lotto-Dstny at the time. "Unfortunately, he will never turn pro and we will always remember him as a talented rider and a warm and friendly person off the bike." 

An investigation is currently ongoing into the circumstances of Pujalte’s death.