The cycling
world was shocked by the May 9 death of Belgian cyclist, Wouter Weylandt,
during the third stage of the Giro d’Italia.
Weylandt, 26, crashed just 25 kilometers from the finish in Rapallo. An
autopsy showed that Weylandt died of internal injuries and damage to the base
of his skull after his pedal got stuck in a wall as he was cycling and he took
a 20 meter fall off the mountain road.
On May 10, Weylandt’s memory was honored in the 216-kilometer fourth
stage, from Genova Quarto dei Mille to Livorno in a stage of respect, as the
cyclists rode together, wearing black armbands, along the Tuscan coast to
Livorno. According to Riccardo Nencini, Tuscan regional councillor for sports,
‘After Weylandt’s death, this is not the same race.’
Livorno had originally prepared for a party but instead welcomed the
memorial ride as the Giro d’Italia family mourned Weylandt’s death. Weylandt’s
wife, who is expecting his first child, was also honored. The eight members of
Weylandt’s team, Leopard Trek, along with Tyler Farrar, Weylandt’s best friend
and training partner, crossed the line to a warm applause from the huge crowds
gathered at the finish in Livorno. Leopard Trek was invited to the podium to
further honor Weylandt by displaying his image winning stage three of last
year’s Giro d’Italia, followed by a moment of silence and a tribute played by a
lone Italian bugler. The Luxembourg-based team then withdrew from the race on
May 11.
The Tuscan stage of the 2011 Giro d’Italia finished on May 11, when
cyclists raced through Piombino to the finish line in Orvieto. The tour, which
is marking 150 years of Italian unification, ends in Milan on May 29, 2011.
For a full schedule of the Giro, visit http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2011/it/.
