The 18-year-old cyclist from Valladolid Estela Domínguez died on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. after being hit by a truck in an industrial estate in Salamanca.
The young athlete, a runner for the Sopela team, was training on the outskirts of the city where she was studying when she was hit by a heavy vehicle.
Domínguez, who had participated in national cyclocross competitions a few weeks ago, was just beginning her professional career and was the only daughter of former two-wheeler Juan Carlos Domínguez.
Her father, who raced for Kelme, iBanesto.com, Phonak and Vitalicio at the turn of the century, among other teams, won the prologue of the Giro d'Italia in 2002 by a second, wearing the jersey pink.
He is the standout of the 20-plus wins of his career.
The death of a teenage cyclist, the only child of a well-known ex-cyclist, has shocked cycling, a sport too accustomed to the road death of its champions while training.
A few weeks ago, the Italian Davide Rebellin died in a similar accident, and a few years before Michele Scarponi.
In Spain, fans still remember the fatal abuses of Antonio Martín, the Otxoa brothers, Iñaki Lejarreta, son of ex-cyclist Ismael Lejarreta and nephew of champion Marino, or Víctor Cabedo, brother of professional Óscar Cabedo.
"The possibility of being run over is something that is horrifying, but unfortunately we always count on it when Igor goes out to train," says former cyclist José Luis Arrieta, father of 20-year-old professional Igor Arrieta.
"Our training ground is the road and there is always danger there."
Data from the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) show that between 2012 and 2021, 693 cyclists have died in accidents on urban and interurban roads in Spain, both at the time and in the 30 days after.
The 2022 yearbook adds another 40 deaths, on the day and without the 30-day period after the accident, without distinguishing the type of road where they occurred.
“Thanks to social pressure, the penalties have been toughened, especially for drivers who flee after running over a cyclist.
It has improved, but accidents are inevitable”, says José Luis López Cerrón, president of the Spanish Cycling Federation.
"With eight million people who use bicycles, the percentage is very low, although cases like this make them very striking."
The causes of the accident are being investigated.
Sources from the Government sub-delegation point to "a distraction" for the truck driver, although glare from the sun, which was setting on the plateau at that time, is not ruled out.
Estela Domínguez, born in Valladolid in November 2004, had gone out to shoot in Salamanca, where she was studying Labor Relations and Human Resources.
The fatal impact occurred at sunset, near the Villares de la Reina industrial estate, on the outskirts of the city, on the N620, next to the highway exit.
The athlete died at the scene of the accident.
Domínguez made his university education compatible with professional cycling.
This January she finished seventh in the Spanish cyclocross championship.
She also ran in this discipline after being called up for the World Cup, in Benidorm (Alicante).
The signs of pain in the area of the bicycle began to arrive shortly after the identity of the accident victim was known.
“With immense pain, we have learned that our cyclist Estela Domínguez has died this afternoon, the victim of a hit-and-run while she was training.
We accompany the family in these terrible moments.
Rest in peace”, the Biscayne Sopela team, to which the deceased belonged, communicated on social networks.
The president of the Spanish federation, López Cerrón, regrets what happened to a young woman whom he had known since she was a child due to her friendship with her father, Juan Carlos Domínguez, whom he led in the Vitalicio and with whom he organized the Tour of Castilla y León .
“The girl, she has lived cycling all her life with her father, she was in love with the bicycle.
She started running in schools and made a lot of progress,” she says.
“It's a big stick, the girl has run a lot with us, in the Spanish federation, as a junior.
This was the first year under 23. She was starting the professional category ”.
Student and cyclist, a "double effort"
The event has left his teammates from the Sopela Basque team "desolate", according to its director, Emilio Ramos: "For him to leave us like this at 18 years old is very hard for his family and friends."
The young woman, like other cyclists from outside Bizkaia, trained in her areas of origin and joined the competitions.
Her team leader points out that she was signed to the professional category after seeing her "manners" in her youth years.
“The effort was double because she rode a bike and studied.
She was preparing for her first competition with us, the return to the Valencian Community, next week, ”says Ramos, who indicates that the group will attend without filling her vacancy.
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The news has shocked promising cyclists such as Sergio Romeo from Valladolid, brother of the also professional Iván Romeo.
The young runner, who was bronze in the last junior Spanish championship, said goodbye to his friend on his Instagram like this: “The only thing that takes me out of this great sadness is one thing.
The fact that I promise you wherever you are that I will never forget who you are in my life, I will never forget the memories I have with you and, if one day I have children, I will tell them about you.
I know it's very little, but it's the only thing I can give back in exchange for everything you've given me, I hope you receive it wherever you are.
You will always be in my memory."
Sources from Domínguez's university environment affirm that her friends "are fatal, sunk before this absolute disgrace" of which they found out as a result of a post on Instagram from the deceased's boyfriend.
The young woman had studied high school at the Julián Marías Institute in Valladolid.
There, last year, she gave a speech at the graduation ceremony before starting university and gave a jersey from one of her races to the center.
Several teachers from the institute have reacted on social networks.
Her English teacher Emma Navas said goodbye to her like this: "I will always remember you struggling to balance high school and your cycling career, calm, hardworking, without complaints about homework or homework, always simple, humble, constant and an example to so many students. for your tenacity
Watch over us from heaven, dear Estela!"
The pain of Juan Carlos Domínguez
In Íscar, a town in Valladolid, there is a “Juan Carlos Domínguez” street, because the cyclist father of the deceased young woman was born there, who, in El Norte de Castilla cries: “She was a heavenly girl, affectionate, hard-working… And because of a mistake in a truck, you are left without a daughter, with all the dreams we had together.
Íscar was preparing to welcome the world of cycling in September as the goal of the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a España.
Today, in a sadly unexpected way, it will host a large part of Spanish cycling, since the burial of the adolescent athlete will be held there at noon.
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