Thousands of cyclists from across the United States and twenty different countries converged in Boulder on Sunday to honor the memory of Magnus White, a local teenage cycling prodigy tragically killed last year while training for the junior mountain biking world championships.
The event, marked by a misty morning, saw riders ringing their bike bells as they departed from CU Boulder’s campus, tracing a route that passed by Highway 119 near Gunbarrel, where White was struck and killed. A white ghost bike and an American flag continue to mark the site in remembrance.
At the post-ride rally, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Congressman Joe Neguse, and other officials highlighted the urgent need for reforms to safeguard cyclists and pedestrians. “We know that we need to do more to ensure that our roads are safe for everybody,” stated Polis. “We’re doing everything we can to make (Highway) 119 safer as well as roads across Colorado.”
In July 2023, White was biking on the shoulder of Highway 119, just days before he was set to leave for the Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships in Scotland. He died tragically while wearing his Team USA jersey.
In December 2023, police arrested 23-year-old Yeva Smilianska, charging her with felony vehicular homicide. According to an arrest affidavit, Smilianska allegedly fell asleep at the wheel before swerving and hitting White. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in May, claiming a steering wheel malfunction. Her trial is scheduled for December 16th.
White’s parents, Jill and Michael, organized the memorial ride through the White Line Foundation, a nonprofit they established following their son’s death with the mission to eliminate preventable road fatalities. “We call ourselves a new voice for change because Magnus paid the ultimate price,” said Michael White.
The event was also co-organized by Dan Langenkamp, founder of the Ride For Your Life movement. Langenkamp, who lost his wife to a cycling accident in Bethesda, Maryland in 2022, emphasized the need for road safety reforms. “We should be watching Magnus on television or cheering him on at the next Olympics,” Langenkamp lamented. “Instead, we’re begging our leaders to make changes to road safety so people like him don’t have to die.”
Over 4,000 people registered for the ride, underscoring the widespread support for the cause.
Advocating for Reforms
The event organizers are pushing for three primary reforms at the local, state, and federal levels to better protect cyclists and pedestrians. The Whites are particularly focused on fast-tracking the construction of the North Foothills Bikeway on US-36, a route that connects Boulder to Lyons and is heavily used by cyclists, as a crucial step toward safer roads.
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