THE LEOPARD TREK team withdrew from the Giro d’Italia last night – one day after team-mate Wouter Weylandt died in a crash on the third stage.
The decision by the riders – who crossed the line alongside each other accompanied by Weylandt’s training partner Tyler Farrar yesterday – was endorsed fully by the team managers.
“The decision needed to be taken by the riders, because they are the ones that participate in the race,” said general manager Brian Nygaard.
“We have always said that we would stand behind their choice.”
“We wish to thank the other teams, the race organisation RCS, the Italian authorities and all the fans on the road between Genova and Livorno on today’s stage, as the peloton paid tribute to Wouter Weylandt.”
Team captain Fabian Wegmann explained the riders’ decision.
“We have a lot of respect for the Giro d’Italia and for cycling, but we simply cannot continue racing given the circumstances. We are professional athletes, but we feel this is the right thing to do,” he said.
“We are professional athletes but we feel this is the right thing to do.” American sprinter Farrar of the Garmin team was also set to leave the race.
Rival teams backed the riders’ decision.
“It’s only logical, it would have been a nightmare for them to continue,” Sky team director Sean Yates said.
“When something like that happens, it’s not at all surprising that a team leaves. The rest of us will just keep plugging away.”
Weylandt suffered fatal skull and facial injuries as well as damage to his pelvis and a broken leg in Monday’s crash, Dr Armando Mannucci the pathologist who carried out the autopsy revealed yesterday. A toxicology report is underway.
Danger
The 26-year-old crashed on the twisting descent of the Bocco mountain pass around 25km from the finish line on Monday’s third stage which ended in Rapallo.
While travelling at speed his left pedal briefly touched a wall at the side of the road, propelling him 20 metres to the ground below where he landed heavily on his face.
Weylandt’s parents and partner Anne-Sophie, who is due to give birth to their first child in September, laid flowers at the scene of his death yesterday.
The rider’s agent said Jef Van Den Bosch, revealed the cyclist had sent him a message saying that he felt top-level racing was becoming too dangerous.
“It’s weird how things go. [Monday] he sent me a message [saying] he felt racing was becoming too dangerous, that the riders were racing in an incredibly nervous way and that it spooked him. Now it’s too late.”
One former colleague in the peloton explained the events leading up to the fatal crash.
“Wouter was dropped and tried to come back to the group,” Portuguese cyclist Manuel Cardoso said. ”
[Weylandt] then looked behind to see if he would be better to wait for other dropped riders [about 20]. While looking behind, he hit with 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 hit again something. It must have been terrible.”
- additional reporting AP
