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Monday, May 9, 2011
It Is Definitely Not About The Bike... But Sometimes It Might Be A Good Idea To Consider
Tragedy On The Giro: Wouter Weylandt (1984-2011)
I was watching as tragedy unfolded at the Giro yesterday and went to bed hoping everything would turn out ok. Sadly it did not. On the descent off the Passo del Bocco, the Belgian rider for Leopard TREK apparently clipped a pedal going into a corner as he tried to make up ground on the pack.
The televised images of a rider face down on the tarmac was chilling and a sobering reminder of how dangerous this sport can be... and how fragile we are as riders.
Ride Safe!
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"I am unbearably saddened by the loss of Wouter today. As many know, he was my friend, training partner, and in many ways, another brother to me. His death marks and irreparable change in my life but more importantly, in the lives of his family and most loved.
"Wouter was one of the kindest, funniest, and most admirable people I have ever had the opportunity to know and his death is a tragedy to his family, his friends, and to the sport as a whole.
"I can only convey my deepest of sympathies to everyone who cared about him as deeply as I did, especially his family, his friends, his team and his fans – we celebrate his life and morn his death in equal measure.
"Wouter was and is the soul of this sport we all love – an athlete who sacrificed himself for the better of many and a champion who celebrated each glory as a victory for his family, his team, and his friends and fans.
"I will remember him always, and will always strive to do him proud, as he has always done for the sport and people he loves."--Tyler Ferrar (Cycling News)