Andreas Tonelli, 48, an extreme biker and influencer with over 120,000 followers on Instagram, died after a bike fall in the Vallelunga area of Val Gardena, South Tyrol.

Tonelli fell approximately 200 meters while tackling a very steep section of terrain alone. It's therefore difficult to reconstruct the exact circumstances of the accident, which the Carabinieri are investigating.

Tonelli had been out for a ride in the late afternoon, and the alarm was raised shortly after 9:00 PM when the cyclist hadn't returned. At 7:15 PM on Tuesday, his last Instagram story was a video of him finishing an ascent to 2,905 meters on Piz Duleda, smiling, his bike slung over his shoulder, and a dizzying view of the valley.

A friend who had already begun the search called for help. Alpine rescue and the Aiut Alpin helicopter patrolled the area until late at night, when, around 1:00 a.m., the man's lifeless body was spotted in a ravine, an area difficult for rescuers to reach at night.

The search was further complicated by the weather, with heavy rain and freezing temperatures. The body recovery operations therefore took place this morning.

(Unioneonline)

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