Sopela neo-pro Estela Domínguez has died after being hit by a truck driver during a training ride on Thursday afternoon.
Domínguez joined the team this year but had yet to make her professional debut. She was out training in Villares de la Reina near Salamanca in the northern Castilla y León region of Spain when she was hit by a truck at a crossroads near an industrial estate.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident at 6:32pm on Thursday but couldn't do anything to save the 18-year-old.
"With immense pain, we have learned that our cyclist Estela Domínguez has died this afternoon, the victim of a hit-and-run while training," Sopela announced on Twitter. "We stand with her family in these terrible moments. Rest in peace."
The Spanish Cycling Federation RFEC also paid tribute to Domínguez, writing, "All of Spanish cycling is in mourning. Please always respect the cyclists on the road. Every bike carries a life."
Spanish daily El País has reported that an investigation is ongoing, noting that local authorities have said that "everything points to a distraction" on the part of the truck driver, with one hypothesis being that the evening sun had dazzled the driver and affected visibility.
Domínguez had raced both road and cyclocross as a junior, recently taking part in the UCI World Cup cyclocross round in Benidorm. Last season she was second in the national junior competition, the Women's Cup, and finished top five in both the junior road race and the time trial at the Spanish National Championships.
Alongside her cycling career, Domínguez was studying human resources and labour relations at the University of Salamanca.
She was the daughter of Juan Carlos Domínguez, a pro racer in the 1990s and 2000s for Kelme, iBanesto, Phonak and Saunier Duval, and stage winner at the 2002 Giro d'Italia.
Tributes to Domínguez poured in from around Spanish cycling overnight, with Spanish teams Movistar, Burgos-BH and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA all posting messages of remembrance to Twitter.
Alejandro Valverde wrote, "There are no words that can be used in the face of something like this. All my love to the family and friends of Estela Domínguez, and especially her father with whom I shared a team in my early years. RIP."
Cyclingnews would like to extend our condolences to Domínguez's family, friends, and former teammates.
😭 Con inmenso dolor, hemos conocido que nuestra ciclista Estela Domínguez ha fallecido esta tarde, víctima de un atropello mientras entrenaba. Acompañamos a la familia en estos terribles momentos. Descansa en paz 😔 pic.twitter.com/JrecoiFeZGFebruary 9, 2023
No hay palabras que sirvan ante algo así. Todo mi cariño a los familiares y allegados de Estela Domínguez y especialmente su padre con quien compartí pelotón en mis primeros años. DEP.February 9, 2023
