Wouter Weylandt fatally injured in crash

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News like this makes the race results rather insignificant.

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.

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 (Movistar) new leader David Millar (Garmin-Cervelo).

Our collective thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.  Article from CyclingNews, which will have more information as it becomes available.

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About 40 Hands

A fan of riding bikes with one gear, malt liquor, riding without knowing how many miles I’ve covered, and strip clubs that let you bring your own keg. I typically have a stupid grin on my face, it is because deep down I know that no matter what, my mom thinks I’m cool. Denver, Colorado, USA

15 Replies to “Wouter Weylandt fatally injured in crash”

  1. I was watching it live on Sporza; the pictures were incredibly grim, the Belgian commentators imploring the Italian director not to show them. They couldn’t and didn’t say much for the remaining 30min and they ended the broadcast as soon as the peloton crossed the finish line.

    Exactly a year ago he was winning stage 3 of the Giro to Middelburg…I got a picture of him during the opening ITT here in Amsterdam.

    So sad…RIP Wouter.

  2. It was pretty clear what was going on from the universal sports broadcast too. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

    I love this sport, but it isn’t worth this. It isn’t worth someone’s life.

  3. I saw it on the British Euro Sport feed. They showed him for about two seconds and cut away. Sean Kelly and his counterpart were very quiet for the rest of the stage. They apologized for showing what they did but explained it was controlled by the Italian director for RAI. Sad Sad day. Bonnie Ford posted this link on twitter as a way we assume he would want to be remembered, http://bit.ly/lCG0Dq.

  4. Bike racing. All that shit just gets more pro baller and fine lined and peeps still die because shit is crazytown and hard. Fuck yea. Real deal and real sadness. I wouldn’t expect it any other way.

  5. Michael, thanks for that link. Thats’s true, and real, and fitting.

    I wonder if maybe that’s what it means to be “all in” – as I sit here contemplating my own mortality, and one day after skipping a race but later going ahead and driving the 75 miles anyway, to pick up a teammate after he crashed on his head and couldn’t think (through the shoulder pain and concussion) well enough to drive….

    And I realize that’s one of those big differences. “Them and Us.” Being “in” that deep, willing to risk it all for what you dedicate your life to. I’m no pro, no genes for that I won’t even pretend, but as I pay respects and pour a little out for this fallen rider, a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend (WA state cycling isn’t so big, the lines of connection feel pretty short today) I also feel a poignant shame. I admire Wouter for his passion, dedication, and acceptance of risk. I’ve never risked so much for anything, or anyone. I’ve never been “all in.” I wonder how many of us have?

    Us and Them. They deserve the podium we put them on, in ways we can’t begin to understand.

    Michael: again, thanks for that link, and that image.

  6. …sad is the word but sometimes it happens this way when we celebrate life by embracing it fully…& bike racing is definitely the ‘real deal’

    …my heart goes out to wouter weylandt’s family, friends & teammates…

  7. I just saw the video on Huffington Post,fucked me up pretty good. Looks like he hit his face first and his elbow is gone.

    RIP Woulter. RIP.

  8. fwiw, I posted the ITT photo from the 2010 Giro up on the DC Facebook page.

  9. I had a great ride today, came home all high on endorphins and eager to watch the Giro S3. Now it all seems meaningless. RIP Wouter.

  10. …speaking of stage 3, wouter weylandt won the 3rd stage of last year’s giro d’italia…

    …prob’ly one of the happiest days of his cycling career & now a year later, the 3rd stage takes his life & leaves his young wife, 5 months pregnant, without a husband & a father for their coming baby…

    …that just guts me…

  11. It is always sad when an athlete dies, especially in such a public and unfortunately broadcasted way. All I can add besides my prayers for his family is the fact he went very quickly and passed living his dream!

    I said a quick little prayer for CB to help keep him safe.

  12. …today’s stage 4 was a 6 hour, 216 kilometer impromptu memorial led by wouter weylandt’s teammates, colleagues & friends & respectfully attended by thousands upon thousands of fans who not only showed their love for the young deceased rider but also support for the rest of the racers who tomorrow, will return to being absolutely focused on the job of racing & winning this bicycle race…

    …but today was a day for heartfelt emotions & they were written on the sober faces of those young men, colorfully kitted as they were…

    …this wonderful sport, even in tragedy, has the ability to show it’s class & beauty in a way impossible in any other sport…