Australian cycling star Carly Hibberd killed in crash

RISING Australian cyclist Carly Hibberd has died in a training accident in Italy.

Carly Hibberd

RISING Australian cyclist Carly Hibberd has died in a training accident in Italy.

Italian police said the 26-year-old women’s national road series title holder was struck by a car on a road between Appiano Gentile and Lurato Caccivio, north of Milan.

According to local media reports and Cyclingnews.com she was training with Colombian rider Diego Tamayo when she was hit by a car. Tamayo was not injured.

Hibberd died at the scene, despite the efforts of a helicopter medical rescue team.

Hibberd moved to Italy in 2009 to pursue her career as a professional road cyclist and joined the Cassina Rizzardi A Style Fionucci team based near Como at the start of the current season.

News of her death shocked the peleton at the Tour de France with leading Australian Cadel Evans devastated by the incident. 

“I'm very, very sorry, I ride that road too,”  Evans said on twitter from the Tour.

Countryman Richie Porte also tweeted from the tour: “Very sad to hear about the death of Carly Hibberd, thoughts are with her family and friends.”

The death brings back memories of the 2005 accident that killed leading Australian road cyclist Amy Gillett, 29, and left five Australian team-mates injured when an out of control car ran into them as they trained for a road race in Germany.

Officials from the Australian consulate in Milan were liaising closely with local authorities.

Consular staff from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in Canberra were providing consular assistance to Hibberd's family in Australia.