Jacopo Venzo cycles during the first state of the race in Vienna, Austria. Twitter photo

Italian cycling hope Jacopo Venzo died in a crash in the first stage of a junior race in Austria, the European Cycling Union said on Saturday.

The 17-year-old Jacopo Venzo succumbed to his injuries after crashing during the first stage of the race on Friday.

"The boy suffered a terrible fall yesterday on the downhill during the first stage of the Upper Austria Tour,” the Campana cycling team said on Facebook.

"Jacopo was an extraordinary boy with a bright future in sports and especially in life, and for this reason it hurts even more.” "There are no words to describe this tragedy," the organisation tweeted.

Venzo fell during Friday's stage from Haid to Marchtrenk as the 140 racers descended from Mistelbacher Berg. The race, scheduled to finish on Sunday, was abandoned.

"A 17-year-old young Italian rider suffered a serious fall while descending a long bend to the left in the Mistelbacher Berg area," Upper Austria Classics said in a statement on its website.

"The junior rider, who was on his own at the time of the crash, received first aid a few seconds later from the race doctors and paramedics, and, due to the severity of his injuries, he was flown to the Linz Kepler Clinic in a rescue helicopter.

Despite all medical efforts, the cyclist succumbed to his serious injuries after admission.”

The tragedy came just five weeks after Swiss professional racer Gino Maeder, 26, died after falling into a ravine on a high-speed descent during the Tour of Switzerland.

Agencies