The boy who shook the world by crying over the triumph of Egan Bernal in the Tour de France was run over

07/18/2021 18:00

• Clarín.com

• sports

Updated 07/20/2021 5:51 PM

Julián Esteban Gómez

had won the hearts of millions of cycling fans around the world when, in 2019, Egan Bernal's triumph in the Tour de France brought him to tears of joy.

"When I grow up I want to be like him:

win the Tour, the Giro d'Italia," he had daydreamed before the microphones after his emotion was known and the media sought them out.

It will no longer be possible: fate wanted that this Sunday, the same day that the 2021 Tour de France ended with the triumph of the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, Julián (who was only 13 years old)

met his death after being run over by a truck

while I was cycling.

The boy from Zipaquirá had started cycling and regularly attended the school of

Fabio Rodríguez

, a Colombian ex-cyclist, who was the one who confirmed the child's death and fired him on his social networks.

Today you leave without being able to fulfill your dreams that you had and you leave me with no one to bother, only 13 years old and a damn muleteer takes your life, your early departure breaks my heart, it only remains for me to tell you that I miss you forever my dear Julian.

pic.twitter.com/S86rX0M6Cp

- FABIO RODRIGUEZ.

#formandofuturoscampeones (@ farozciclismo1) July 18, 2021

In dialogue with

Blu Radio

in his country, Rodríguez recalled him “as an outgoing boy, but at the same time very sentimental.” And he added: “It is very sad that he has left so young, so young”.

According to Colombian media, Julián was cycling

on the Zipaquirá - Cajicá route

when the incident was reported at 9 in the morning.

The boy would have died immediately, at the scene of the events, after being run over by a truck, whose drivers on coffee grounds are known as "muleros."

The boy already stood out among his peers and

had been selected

by the Colombian Ministry of Sports for the "Talentos Colombia" program.

Even the president of the country, Iván Duque, regretted his death on social networks.

It is with deep pain that we received the news of the death of Julián Esteban Gómez, a 13-year-old athlete who was run over while training on his bicycle in Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca.

We accompany their families in prayer and send them a message of solidarity.

- Iván Duque 🇨🇴 (@IvanDuque) July 18, 2021

The boy, after that image that went around the world, was interviewed by various Colombian media and in all of them he recounted his love for cycling and his admiration for Bernal.

In fact, his image ended up

being included in a mural

that the successful cyclist was painted on the Colombian streets.

At the time the young man got to know Egan, who encouraged him and urged him to continue fighting to achieve that dream of being like him.

Sadly,

that will no longer be possible.

According to a report by the

Colombian

National Road Safety Agency

, in 2020 the deaths of cyclists increased despite the fact that in general terms traffic accidents decreased: 414 people died aboard their bicycles, 4.59% more than in 2019.

According to the authorities, it is due to the fact that the use of the bicycle

almost doubled

and that traffic regulations are not always respected.

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