Giro d'Italia *SPOILERS*

[Flying_Monkey]

Not a lot of meaning to the result today then. I'm quite I wasn't able to catch today's stage.

RIP, Wouter Weylandt.

 

[ACS]

Terribly sad news. Our thoughts are with his family.

RIP, Wouter Weylandt, RIP

 

[Kirstie]

I missed it too - I usually have it online at work but was too busy to look.
The poor man. Just awful news.

 

[raindog]

Sympathetic words from Millar. Apparently Farrar was a big pal of Weylandt.
http://www.cyclingne...ute-to-weylandt

"“I love cycling, and I've always been enchanted by the epic scale of it all, it was why I fell in love with it as a boy. Yet Wouter's death today goes beyond anything that our sport is supposed to be about, it is a tragedy that we as sportsmen never expect, yet we live with it daily, completely oblivious to the dangers we put ourselves in. This is a sad reminder to us, the racers, what risks we take and what lives we lead."

 

[Keith Oates]

Very sad news indeed and extremely upsetting for his family and friends. RIP.

 

[raindog]

It seems poor Weylandt's crash was a freak incident and not really due to a dangerous descent - could've happened almost anywhere. Manuel Cardoso saw it happen.

"Wouter was dropped and tried to come back in the group. He then looked behind to see if it would be better to wait for the other dropped guys," Maertens recalled Cardoso's statements. "While looking behind he hit with his left pedal or left side of his handlebars a small wall and was catapulted to the other side of the road where he hit again something."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-zomegnan-to-respect-memory-of-weylandt

 

[ColinJ]

That sounds like a simple rider mistake with horribly tragic consequences.

I've nearly done a similar thing myself on a fast descent - a quick look over my shoulder and when I looked round I was very close to hitting a dry stone wall.

It's actually pretty amazing that this kind of thing doesn't happen more often.

I wonder if the Giro organisers will have second thoughts about some of the stupidly dangerous descents coming up on mountain stages later in the race?

 

[raindog]

Maybe, although as I said, this wasn't really caused by a dangerous descent. As you say, when you consider how many thousands of racing kilometres these guys cover every season, it's a wonder there aren't more deaths really. I suppose anyone who rides a high mileage is on a knife edge of disaster all the time.

 

[Kirstie]

Good grief, what a catastrophic error (if that is indeed the cause of the accident). It just highlights the incredible level of skill that the pros have and also the level of risk they are taking. He must have taken his eye off for only a split second. They are on such a knife-edge on those descents and have such bottle. I am in awe...

 

[iAmiAdam]

Not going to lie, I welled up a bit at the giro finish today.

RIP Wouter Weylandt. It shouldn't ever have happened.

 

[beastie]

Well it was a good days racing, not up to last years epic in the rain though. Anyone know what happened to the faller about 20 km out?

 

[raindog]

Cracked his head open but apparently ok.

Kennaugh had a good day.

 

[rich p]

Cracked his head open but apparently ok.

Kennaugh had a good day.

He did indeed! Maybe a future GC contender or am I geting ahead of myself

Le strade bianche are such fun, even when it's dry. I speak as a viewer rather than a pro rider, you understand.

 

[lukesdad]

He did indeed! Maybe a future GC contender or am I geting ahead of myself

Le strade bianche are such fun, even when it's dry. I speak as a viewer rather than a pro rider, you understand.

When I switched on I thought it was an mtb race, that first climb on the loose was awesome.

 

[gb155]

It seems poor Weylandt's crash was a freak incident and not really due to a dangerous descent - could've happened almost anywhere. Manuel Cardoso saw it happen.



"Wouter was dropped and tried to come back in the group. He then looked behind to see if it would be better to wait for the other dropped guys," Maertens recalled Cardoso's statements. "While looking behind he hit with his left pedal or left side of his handlebars a small wall and was catapulted to the other side of the road where he hit again something."



http://www.cyclingne...ory-of-weylandt

No way - I've done that when exhausted but clipped a Kerbstone with my left peddle

Shudders at the thought