Team USA teen cyclist killed by car in training accident just days before world championships

An up-and-coming teen American cyclist who was a member of the U.S. National Team was struck and killed by a car while he was training for a race over the weekend, his team said.

Magnus White, a 17-year-old U.S. athlete from Boulder, Colorado, was making his final training preparations over the weekend before his next race -- competing in the Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships beginning on Aug. 10 in Glasgow, Scotland -- when he was struck by a car on a bike ride on Sunday, USA Cycling said in a statement confirming his death.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the news that 17-year-old Magnus White has passed away in a training accident,” USA Cycling said. “White fell in love with cycling at an early age through Boulder Junior Cycling. He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community.”

White won the 2021 Junior 17-18 Cyclocross National Championships before going on to compete with the USA Cycling National Team for a full season of European Cyclocross racing. He finished out the 2022 season at the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championship in Fayetteville, Arkansas and represented the United States at another Cyclocross World Championships event in Jan. 2023.

White was preparing to take the next step in his burgeoning career after earning a spot on the Mountain Bike World Championships team before the accident on Sunday.

The investigation into the deadly crash is ongoing and it is not immediately clear if criminal charges are being pursued.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time,” USA Cycling said. “We ride for Magnus.”