[sanjuro]

Horrible!

Leopard-Trek rider crashed on Passo del Bocco

Leopard-Trek's Wouter Weylandt was fatally injured today in a crash on the third stage of the Giro d'Italia. The 26-year-old went down on the Passo del Bocco and was unconscious at the scene.

Paramedics worked to revive the Belgian, doing CPR for an extended period of time before airlifting him to a nearby hospital. Doctors were unable to revive Weylandt.

"Today, our teammate and friend Wouter Weylandt passed away after a crash on the third stage of the Giro d’Italia," said Leopard-Trek Manager Brian Nygaard. "The team is left in a state of shock and sadness and we send all our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Wouter."

"This is a difficult day for cycling and for our team, and we should all seek support and strength in the people close to us."

The third stage continued on, with riders not informed of the grave nature of Weylandt's crash, but race organisers canceled the podium ceremonies for stage winner Angel Vicioso (Androni Giocattoli) and new leader David Millar (Garmin-Cervelo).

Weylandt began his professional career as a trainee with the Quick Step team in 2004, following a victory the U23 Tour of Flanders and podium placings at the U23 Paris-Roubaix and E3 Prijs Harelbeke.

While his first of six full seasons with Quick Step was delayed by a case of glandular fever, his promise in the Classics was demonstrated with a second place in the 2006 Nokere Koerse.

While he spent much of his time at Quick Step as one of Tom Boonen's main helpers, he earned his victory in the top ranks in the 2007 Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, where he also took second overall. He followed that with the Ronde van het Groene Hart and stages of the Tour of Belgium and Ster Elektrotoer.

After taking his first Classics podium with a third in Gent-Wevelgem, Weylandt won the 17th stage of the 2008 Vuelta a España in his first Grand Tour appearance. He last year won the third stage of the Giro d'Italia, where he bested the top sprinters in the peloton after a marathon stage to Middelburg.

Weylandt signed with the nascent Leopard Trek squad for the 2011 season.

Cyclingnews extends our deepest sympathies to Weylandt's family, friends and teammates.

 

[IH8Rice]

wow, a 20m fall? so sad

 

[ire]

That sux

 

[OGRipper]

Just terrible. One moment of lost concentration should not have this consequence, but the reality is that it can.

And the word is that his wife is 5 months pregnant.

 

[JRogers]

wow, a 20m fall? so sad

Didn't see anything about a fall. Seems like he was dropped from the main group, was trying to get back on on the descent and looked back to see if he should slow to get a group together. Nicked his pedal or bar on a wall and hit his head on something when he went down. It was pretty hopeless after he crashed.

To me, it sounds like kind of a freak accident- just one of those things that you do a thousand times with no consequences and then...

 

[Bicyclist]

Didn't see anything about a fall. Seems like he was dropped from the main group, was trying to get back on on the descent and looked back to see if he should slow to get a group together. Nicked his pedal or bar on a wall and hit his head on something when he went down. It was pretty hopeless after he crashed.

To me, it sounds like kind of a freak accident- just one of those things that you do a thousand times with no consequences and then...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/05/gallery/photos-of-wouter-weylandt-crash-scene-and-memorial_172282

He caught a pedal on a low wall and from what I can gather got thrown over an incline to a stretch of road 20m below? Super tragic incident, RIP.

 

[IH8Rice]

Didn't see anything about a fall. Seems like he was dropped from the main group, was trying to get back on on the descent and looked back to see if he should slow to get a group together. Nicked his pedal or bar on a wall and hit his head on something when he went down. It was pretty hopeless after he crashed.

Race officials later said his left pedal got stuck in a wall at the side of the road, forcing Weylandt to tumble around 20 meters to the ground below.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/05/news/weylandt-dies-after-giro-crash_171955

 

[JRogers]

Huh, I read several articles on it and I don't think any mentioned that. Most quoted this from a rider who saw it, which sounds a bit different:

“Wouter was dropped and tried to come back to the group,” Cardoso said. “[He] then looked behind to see if it would be better to wait for other dropped riders. While looking behind, he hit his left pedal or the left side of his handlebars on a small wall and was catapulted to the other side of the road, when he again hit something. It must have been terrible.”

 

[insanitylevel9]

well thats a bummer

 

[Westy]

Huh, I read several articles on it and I don't think any mentioned that. Most quoted this from a rider who saw it, which sounds a bit different:

“Wouter was dropped and tried to come back to the group,” Cardoso said. “[He] then looked behind to see if it would be better to wait for other dropped riders. While looking behind, he hit his left pedal or the left side of his handlebars on a small wall and was catapulted to the other side of the road, when he again hit something. It must have been terrible.”

From the pictures on velonews it looks like he hit a wall on the left, lost control and went in to the rock wall on the right. Police chalk lines marking his path support this. There certainly was the threat of a long drop but don't think it happened here. He died of head injuries which is consistent with riding into a wall.

Truly sad in the fact that he was so young but most of us will not be so lucky as to die quickly, doing something we love.

 

[IH8Rice]

hard to see what happened from the video, but you can see the obvious massive head trauma. i regret seeing it now

 

[sanjuro]

hard to see what happened from the video, but you can see the obvious massive head trauma. i regret seeing it now

I saw it for a brief moment.

There is nothing to see.

I suppose I am especially sad because it could me or any of my friends.