MADRID - Spanish profesional cyclist, Victor Cabedo died in a trafffic accident Wednesday when he was out on a training ride.

The 23-year-old, who rode for the Euskaltel-Euskadi team, was killed instantly in a head collision which hurled him into a roadside ditch as he was riding down a mountain road close to his home in the province of Castellon in the east of Spain.

The news was confirmed by Euskaltel-Euskadi manager, Miguel Madariaga, who said he had informed Cabedo's teammate, the 2008 Olympic road race champion, Samuel Sanchez, who is currently competing in the World Championships with Spain in Holland.

"He hit the other vehicle head on and it was an instant death," said Madariaga.

This was Cabedo's first season with the Basque based UCI Pro-Tour team who he joined at the end of 2011 from the Orbea feeder team and he had enjoyed a good first season as a professional, finishing ninth in the Spanish Championship road race and 11th in the time trial.

He had just returned to Spain after last week racing in the Tour of Britain, which tragically has now turned out to be his last race.

A study published in June this year showed that cyclists in Spain suffered more accidents than in any other country in Europe with 67 deaths from a total of 3,496 accidents during 2010.