Top cyclist Magnus White dies on the Diagonal

Magnus White, a 17-year old competitive cyclist, was killed Saturday, July 29 on Highway 119 (the “Diagonal”) while training on his bicycle to compete at the Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on Aug. 10.

White was a junior member of the 2023 Cyclocross World Championship team, U.S.A. He had won a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earned a place on the U.S. national team.

White competed with the U.S. team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross world championships in the Netherlands.

He lived with his parents, Michael and Jill White, and his brother Eero in north Boulder, near Highway 36.

White was reportedly riding on the shoulder of the southbound lanes of the Diagonal when he was struck by a Toyota Matrix driven by a 23-year-old Westminster woman just south of the intersection at 63rd Street in Gunbarrel.

Drugs or alcohol are not believed to be involved according to law enforcement officers investigating the accident. No charges have been filed, but the investigation is ongoing.

“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,” USA Cycling said in a statement following the accident. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”