# Terrible news from Giro



## ksl316 (Jul 30, 2008)

NM already posted on 3rd Stage post.Mods delete if possible please.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

I'd rather it be kept here. Mods may be able to split that thread out into this one.

Keep the race discussion and the sad affairs of the stage separate.


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## K&K_Dad (Dec 10, 2008)

Yeah I completely missed it. Was doing training at work and when I went back to the puter I couldn't even get the feed to load because everyone was on. All I heard was cardiac massage(CPR) and atropine. Horrible horrible. All we can hope is that he went out doing something he loved.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

K&K_Dad said:


> Yeah I completely missed it. Was doing training at work and when I went back to the puter I couldn't even get the feed to load because everyone was on. All I heard was cardiac massage(CPR) and atropine. Horrible horrible. *All we can hope is that he went out doing something he loved.*


We could only all be so lucky...


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## JohnHenry (Aug 9, 2006)

really sad.


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## tober1 (Feb 6, 2009)

In case anyone missed it:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/weylandt-dies-in-giro-ditalia-crash


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## boarder1995 (May 9, 2006)

Saw the video coverage and thinking back about it and that a life was ending at that moment (approx.) was very sad. Watching someone pass is a very memorable experience - burned into my mind.


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## fab4 (Jan 8, 2003)

Very tragic. Saw the Univ Sports coverage. I was hoping they will be able to revive him. Sympathy for his family, team, and friends.


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## rhauft (Aug 8, 2006)

*Tweets from Wouter Weylandt*

http://twitter.com/#!/wouterweylandt

Thoughts and prayers to his family, teammates & friends.


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## tober1 (Feb 6, 2009)

rhauft said:


> http://twitter.com/#!/wouterweylandt
> 
> Thoughts and prayers to his family, teammates & friends.


I can't even read that..


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## FlandersFields (Jul 16, 2010)

Wouter, rust in vrede!

I've been following him since his early QS days. I loved his interviews and his numerous appearances in talk shows etc.

I'm gonna ride.


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## chavez (Jan 20, 2009)

I only saw the aftermath of the crash...but this news statement leaves me a little confused:

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

I guess I am unclear - did he slide 20 meters on the road, or did he tumble down a 20 meter cliff? Seeing the area where he crashed, it seems like he might have slid that far, but I didn't really see an area where he would have tumbled down...Anyone else equally confused?


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

Really sad. R.I.P Wouter Weyland.

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


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

chavez said:


> I only saw the aftermath of the crash...but this news statement leaves me a little confused:
> 
> "Race officials later claimed his left pedal got stuck in a wall at the side of the road, forcing Weylandt to tumble around 20 metres to the ground below."
> 
> I guess I am unclear - did he slide 20 meters on the road, or did he tumble down a 20 meter cliff? Seeing the area where he crashed, it seems like he might have slid that far, but I didn't really see an area where he would have tumbled down...Anyone else equally confused?


He went 20 meters down the road and by the word tumbling I gather he didn't slide much.


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## JustTooBig (Aug 11, 2005)

chavez said:


> I only saw the aftermath of the crash...but this news statement leaves me a little confused:
> 
> "Race officials later claimed his left pedal got stuck in a wall at the side of the road, forcing Weylandt to tumble around 20 metres to the ground below."
> 
> I guess I am unclear - did he slide 20 meters on the road, or did he tumble down a 20 meter cliff? Seeing the area where he crashed, it seems like he might have slid that far, but I didn't really see an area where he would have tumbled down...Anyone else equally confused?


I think they meant he ended up on the road 20m from where he initially contacted the wall with his pedal. That's about the only reasonable explanation. Very tragic.


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## Wicked2006 (Jul 9, 2005)

What a sad day at the Giro. R.I.P Wouter Weyland.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

chavez said:


> I only saw the aftermath of the crash...but this news statement leaves me a little confused:
> 
> "Race officials later claimed his left pedal got stuck in a wall at the side of the road, forcing Weylandt to tumble around 20 metres to the ground below."
> 
> I guess I am unclear - did he slide 20 meters on the road, or did he tumble down a 20 meter cliff? Seeing the area where he crashed, it seems like he might have slid that far, but I didn't really see an area where he would have tumbled down...Anyone else equally confused?


You asked the same question I did in the stage 3 thread as I started watching the race with 90+km to go.


Here's how it might have went down:

1) Since they were booking down switchbacks going 40+MPH, he either crashed and did a full face-plant or;

2) I also got the idea that he went over a cliff/embankment and crashed 20+m below.


Either way he went into full cardiac arrest rather fast/soon. Which indicates to me possible severe spinal cord trauma. You can bash your head pretty severe (Split like a grape) and still have a pulse and be intubated.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

cda 455 said:


> You asked the same question I did in the stage 3 thread as I started watching the race with 90+km to go.
> 
> 
> Here's how it might have went down:
> ...


The internet interpretation makes it sound like he put a pedal into a wall which is what caused him to go down...

However, my take is he was pedaling through a corner at high speed trying to not get gapped on the downhill. During one of the corners he clipped a pedal on the ground thus throwing him into the air/off the bike and tumbling down the road with the initial impact being his head on the ground.

It's really hard to say at this point though since there is little to no real information out there on the crash it's self...I haven't seen the coverage yet, but have it on my Tivo so I can see when I get home.

Regardless of what/how it happened...it's a sad day for cycling in general.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Wookiebiker said:


> The internet interpretation makes it sound like he put a pedal into a wall which is what caused him to go down...
> 
> However, my take is he was pedaling through a corner at high speed trying to not get gapped on the downhill. During one of the corners he clipped a pedal on the ground thus throwing him into the air/off the bike and tumbling down the road with the initial impact being his head on the ground.
> 
> ...


Good point.

Your description would almost definitely have spinal cord injury. Especially at that rate of speed.


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## clonechemist (Sep 8, 2006)

Wookiebiker said:


> It's really hard to say at this point though since there is little to no real information out there on the crash it's self...I haven't seen the coverage yet, but have it on my Tivo so I can see when I get home.
> 
> Regardless of what/how it happened...it's a sad day for cycling in general.


My sincere advice is to refrain from watching the video. There are only gruesome and unnecessary closeups as the EMTs attend to him. I'll be deleting it from my DVR as soon as I get home.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Wookiebiker said:


> The internet interpretation makes it sound like he put a pedal into a wall which is what caused him to go down...
> 
> However, my take is he was pedaling through a corner at high speed trying to not get gapped on the downhill. During one of the corners he clipped a pedal on the ground thus throwing him into the air/off the bike and tumbling down the road with the initial impact being his head on the ground.
> 
> ...


I posted in the other stage 3 thread that the Dr. on-scene said he had a frontal skull fracture. And he was launched across the road from a pedal or handlebar striking a wall.


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## AndesMountains (Jun 7, 2008)

Very sad day indeed. I am very very sad. R.I.P Wouter Weyland.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

We all know it can be a dangerous sport, but this is still a complete shock. Condolences to Wouter's family and friends.


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## TerminatorX91 (Mar 27, 2011)

clonechemist said:


> My sincere advice is to refrain from watching the video. There are only gruesome and unnecessary closeups as the EMTs attend to him. I'll be deleting it from my DVR as soon as I get home.



It's horrific. Right now I'm having a hard time imagining being able to do a high speed mountain descent on my bike ever again.


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

No matter how it happened. Very sad day. I finally had convinced my coworkers to put the Giro on at work on the 70" LCD in the afternoon. We were all sort of watching it live, and somehow we all seemed to see it happen. They are new to the sport and very shaken. I will have to convince them it isn't normal so I can still watch.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*scary*



TerminatorX91 said:


> It's horrific. Right now I'm having a hard time imagining being able to do a high speed mountain descent on my bike ever again.


Geez. Just Saturday I was ripping through corners at 50+ mph on a descent from 7,600', leaning it over at the limits. Now I'm freaked.


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## TerminatorX91 (Mar 27, 2011)

Fixed said:


> Geez. Just Saturday I was ripping through corners at 50+ mph on a descent from 7,600', leaning it over at the limits. Now I'm freaked.


 

Spooked plus descending does not equal a safe combination. I don't think anything mechanical was to blame l but nonetheless I think I'll start obsessively checking my tub glue and brakes and be more mellow on the descents.


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## alpka (Apr 4, 2006)

robdamanii said:


> We could only all be so lucky...



Not sure he is the lucky one today... Pretty sure we would all rather do what we love and live through it.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

alpka said:


> Not sure he is the lucky one today... Pretty sure we would all rather do what we love and live through it.


See my post on this in the stage 3 giro thread.

If you gotta go, there are worse ways.


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

Tragedy. RIP Wouter Weyland


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*heartbreaking news*

thoughts go out to his family and friends

way too young

had a baby on the way


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## Road Hazard (Feb 5, 2011)

Watching Universal Sports replay of 2010 Giro stage 3, and Weylandt winning the sprint, Basso's words about tragic destiny resonate.


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## gpsser (Oct 25, 2003)

I am really glad that they have been removing the videos from various locations. No one needs to see a life ending like that. It is an image i wish i had never seen this morning and has left a haunting image in my mind. It is the one time i had wished i had been watching delayed coverage, it would have been edited out.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

Everytime I read about a sports tragedy it really gets to me. I had a notification from eurosport pushed to my phone.  

Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

This just reminds us again and again how fragile and unpredictable life is- one moment(not even a minute) you're doing something you love and the next, you're gone. No time to say goodbye to your loved ones. No one even expects it. 

I guess if it's your time, it's your time, young or old. Still, very sad and tragic. 

R.I.P. Wouter. You went on the same stage you took victory on last year. Makes your memory that much more


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

alpka said:


> Not sure he is the lucky one today... Pretty sure we would all rather do what we love and live through it.


Come on, we all know what he was saying or trying to say. He died doing something he loved. Is it really necessary to pick the wording apart?


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## terkonekto (Sep 22, 2005)

*Brutal Scene*

I was watching the race live on Univeral Sports and they showed an up close of him on the ground with blood coming out his nose and head, knew he was dead and gave me a bit of a sick feeling. Also seeing them giving him CPR was disturbing. R.I.P Wouter Weyland.


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## aengbretson (Sep 17, 2009)

Very touching tribute to Weylendt by the peloton today. Leopard Trek does the last 3k fanned out across the road and they include Tyler Farrar (one of Wouter's best friends). Farrar even tried to drop back as they approached the line to let Leopard Trek cross first but they were having none of that and told him to get back in there. Just beautiful.


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## FlandersFields (Jul 16, 2010)

I'm still not over it. 

Walter Godefroodt, not a nobody, had a somewhat different opinion on the crash. 
He claims the bigger bunches, or peletons, if you wish make it way more dangerous to race right now.

But also the material, and especially the carbon rims. Personally, I think he has a point there. The higher rims are much more wind sensitive and the tubes are harder, which makes riding in a bunch more dangerous. What's your guys take on that?


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

FlandersFields said:


> I'm still not over it.
> 
> Walter Godefroodt, not a nobody, had a somewhat different opinion on the crash.
> He claims the bigger bunches, or peletons, if you wish make it way more dangerous to race right now.
> ...


well he was apparently alone since he looked over his shoulder to see if a chase group was coming up. Not sure what riding in the bunch has to do with it. 
Unless he changed bike on the way, it seems he was on fairly shallow rims.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

FlandersFields said:


> I'm still not over it.
> 
> Walter Godefroodt, not a nobody, had a somewhat different opinion on the crash.
> He claims the bigger bunches, or peletons, if you wish make it way more dangerous to race right now.
> ...


It's tempting to grasp for reasons when a tragic event occurs.

By all accounts he was caught between groups, trying to decide whether to chase or ease up, and looked over his shoulder at just the wrong time.


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## Kram (Jan 28, 2004)

There is bound to be a lot of "could've, should've, would've, what if and whys" about this. Bottom line is he apparantly made a mistake (like all of us do) at preceisely the wrong time and paid the ultimate price.


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## Clanky44 (Apr 6, 2011)

clonechemist said:


> My sincere advice is to refrain from watching the video. There are only gruesome and unnecessary closeups as the EMTs attend to him. I'll be deleting it from my DVR as soon as I get home.


Completely agree....

My wife and I watched it after work, both of us were speechless during the footage. Very gruesome coverage, the 2 seconds of way too close up feed seemed to last an eternity. We watched the end of the stage and immediately deleted the PVR recording. Not even a thought of rewinding,... it was just too sickening.

RIP


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