Spanish cyclist Xavier Tondo died in a freak accident on Monday after he was crushed between his car and a garage door in southern Spain, a Civil Guard spokesperson said.
Tondo (32) was killed while trying to take his car out of the garage in a residential complex outside Granada, spokesperson Juan Carlos Lopez said.
He said the cyclist got out of the car to try to get the garage door to open but his car rolled forward and pinned him against the door. The official said another person was in the front passenger seat at the time.
Cadena SER radio said Tondo was with fellow cyclist Benat Intxausti and the two were leaving to go training with Alejandro Valverde in the Sierra Nevada mountain range outside Granada.
News of the death spread quickly among the cycling community.
“My sincere condolences to his family,” Tour de France winner and current Giro d’Italia leader Alberto Contador said on Twitter “He was an amazing person who loved this sport as anyone. I’ll miss you very much. Rest in peace.”
Tondo, winner of this year’s Castilla y Leon tour, was planning to compete in the Tour de France for his new Movistar Team.
The Spanish cycling federation said Tondo had won 14 races in his career. — Sapa-AP