After tragically losing control of their bike during a race, a young motocross star has tragically passed away.
On March 5, the accident happened while Gabriela Valentini was taking part in the Parana State Velocross Championship in Brazil.
The 17-year-old bike enthusiast flew over the handlebars of her spinning motorcycle and was struck by it.
Just a few seconds earlier, spectators had seen Valentini’s bike swerve out of control.
She was found unconscious on the dirt track and was given first aid by the medical team that was on hand for the race in the town of Lapa.
She was then taken to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her wounds.
Following the tragedy, a statement was released by the Parana State Motorcycling Federation.
It said: “Gabriela leaves her name in the gallery of winning pilots in the discipline, in Parana and in Brazil.
“The organisation, through its president Gilberto Rosa, expresses at this moment of loss and pain, standing in solidarity with family, friends, and admirers.
“Faced with this tragedy, we make ourselves available to help with whatever is within our reach. May God comfort everyone’s heart.”
On March 7, Valentini was laid to rest in her hometown of Curitiba.
She had accrued an Instagram following of just under 12,000 with her enthusiasm for the sport.
Beginning in the early 2000s, velocross spread from Brazil to other parts of the world, including the United States and Europe.
It is a style of off-road motorcycle racing also referred to as VX.
It incorporates features from both motocross and supercross.
The first entirely electric indoor motocross track in England recently opened in Cumbria.
