Cyclist Dies from Crash near Vuelta Finish

RBA/AFP

A 29-year-old Spanish woman has died after crashing into a wall on her bike near the finish line of the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday.

The 20th stage of the three-week race around Spain took place in poor weather conditions with rain and fog affecting the climb to Alto de l’Angliru in the north-western region of Asturias.

“The young cyclist… died as a consequence of severe injuries suffered after losing control of her bike and colliding with a wall,” the Asturias centre of emergency coordination said in a statement. “It appears the accident took place after the brakes failed.”

The accident took place around midday local time (1000GMT) just a few hours before Tour de France champion Chris Froome all but sealed the overall race victory. The victim was transferred by helicopter to a hospital in the city of Oviedo, where she passed away.