Andrea Pinarello just died. The son of Pinarello founder Giovanni and brother of Fausto Pinarello.
A death is always sad, but the way in which he died makes all cyclists sit up and wonder about the sport we do. Andrea was 40 yrs old and was in supposed good health, he had just crossed the finish line at an Italian amateur race -The Giro del Friuli when he had a sudden heart attack. The paramedics were able to start his heart again but he experienced a second one and they were unable to save him. He was married and had 2 children, also had a long association with the brand. Pinarello bikes have long been considered one of the top brands in the world , sponsoring such teams as Ibanesto, Fassa Bortolo,Illles Balears-Caissed'Epargne, and now the Movistar team.
This story story hits home for me as I am on my 4th Pinarello. Their bikes have always been top notch and been worthy of the huge price tag. Aside from that small reason I can identify with his undue passing as I am also 40 yrs old, have a child , and like almost all cyclist/racers would, I feel that I have excellent health and would be the last person to suffer a heart attack. It seems that even the most fit and well taken care of individuals can be felled if their straw is pulled.
As avid cyclists we push minds and our bodies, often past a reasonable point. Maybe that's why we do it, so we can raise the bar on what our bodies can handle. Its always sad to hear about someone young dying in a freak circumstance like that. You never figure the healthy, slim ones will go like that.
My good thoughts go out to Andrea and his family after this tragedy. I hope all bike racers will pause for a second and remember what his family has done for this sport.
Ciao Andrea
A death is always sad, but the way in which he died makes all cyclists sit up and wonder about the sport we do. Andrea was 40 yrs old and was in supposed good health, he had just crossed the finish line at an Italian amateur race -The Giro del Friuli when he had a sudden heart attack. The paramedics were able to start his heart again but he experienced a second one and they were unable to save him. He was married and had 2 children, also had a long association with the brand. Pinarello bikes have long been considered one of the top brands in the world , sponsoring such teams as Ibanesto, Fassa Bortolo,Illles Balears-Caissed'Epargne, and now the Movistar team.
This story story hits home for me as I am on my 4th Pinarello. Their bikes have always been top notch and been worthy of the huge price tag. Aside from that small reason I can identify with his undue passing as I am also 40 yrs old, have a child , and like almost all cyclist/racers would, I feel that I have excellent health and would be the last person to suffer a heart attack. It seems that even the most fit and well taken care of individuals can be felled if their straw is pulled.
As avid cyclists we push minds and our bodies, often past a reasonable point. Maybe that's why we do it, so we can raise the bar on what our bodies can handle. Its always sad to hear about someone young dying in a freak circumstance like that. You never figure the healthy, slim ones will go like that.
My good thoughts go out to Andrea and his family after this tragedy. I hope all bike racers will pause for a second and remember what his family has done for this sport.
Ciao Andrea
