Ten days after the terrible accident that cost Sara Piffer her life, her brother Christian, an Under 23 rider with Campana Imballaggi who was training with her on that fateful January 24th, has agreed to speak exclusively with Tuttobiciweb.

Christian, have you gotten back on the bike?
"Yes, already last Wednesday. I didn't go out every day, I alternated between rides and rollers because the weather here in Trentino hasn't been the best. When I returned to cycling, I was afraid, especially of the cars I encountered. I didn't do specific training, just a few hours to try to rediscover the right sensations on the bike, with a constant thought of Sara who I miss terribly, you can't imagine how much."

Do you plan to start racing again, or haven't you thought about it yet?
"I should start with San Geo, scheduled for February 22nd, but I don't know if I'll be ready or in condition to race."

With what spirit do you think you'll move forward?
"These are difficult days, extremely difficult. We miss Sara so much. Besides her, I have two other brothers with whom I also share a room at home. Gabriele, the oldest, is from 2001 and Loris, the youngest, is from 2007, but they don't cycle. Gabriele works as a surveyor, Loris studies and practices athletics."

At home, with mom, dad, and your two brothers, what do you think of doing to remember her?
"Every evening we gather in the living room to recite the rosary for Sara. Additionally, we visit her on foot at the cemetery near our home here in Palù di Giovo every day."

What do you remember about that terrible day?
"We had just passed the town center of Mezzocorona and were cycling along Cesare Battisti Street - a secondary and less busy road - towards Mezzolombardo, when we saw a car approaching in the opposite direction and immediately after another vehicle trying to overtake it. It was a matter of moments, of a few seconds: we had the sidewalk on our right, so we couldn't move much. I managed to pass, she didn't. When the vehicle passed us, I thought we had made it, but a moment later I heard a loud bang, turned around, and saw her on the ground. Initially, I didn't think it was so serious, I thought she might have broken something; I went to her immediately and heard her last breaths, saw her fade away before my eyes. Another woman who witnessed the scene ran to help me call for help and my parents. There were also workers in the area who tried to do what they could with me. The rescue arrived after about twenty minutes, and my parents arrived shortly after, but unfortunately, there was nothing more to be done for Sara. When I first called my mom and dad, I only told them we had a bad accident, but as soon as I hung up, I understood the gravity of the situation and called them back to say her heart was no longer beating."

What kind of girl was Sara?
"Beautiful, incredibly talented. She was radiant, never wasted a second of her time, always doing something. She loved drawing, but her great passion was cycling. She was excellent at school, graduated with honors from the Sports Technical Institute, and was very religious. Sara loved animals, especially horses. We had a dog named Kira, to whom she was very attached and continued to write and draw for her since she passed away two years ago. She loved traveling. A trip she would have liked to take? Going to Africa to visit our aunt who is a nun and missionary in Congo."

Did she have a dream related to cycling?
"To become a professional."

Was there anything else she wanted to do?
"Sara had been wanting to bring the community and young people closer to the Church for some time and had recently spoken with the parish priests, but then life took her to heaven."

What was your relationship with her?
"Beautiful, all-encompassing. I was very close to her, as were my brothers. Sara was the one I got along with most because of cycling. We often went out together and spent a lot of time together at school because we went to the same institute. Fate then wanted this bond to break, but she will forever remain with me, with us."

What should institutions do to improve bicycle safety?
"I'm not sure, I think about more severe and therefore stricter rules for respecting cyclists. To drivers, I want to launch an appeal: to overtake cyclists only with an adequate safety distance and when there are proper visibility conditions. I would also like to tell those driving a vehicle to be less rushed, and therefore more calm. Life is one, racing serves no purpose."