• Giro d'Italia

Giro pays tribute to Weylandt in Livorno

The peloton observed a minute's silence ahead of the stage in memory of Wouter Weylandt © Getty Images

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The Giro d'Italia peloton paid tribute to Wouter Weylandt as they rolled in as one behind the Leopard-Trek team in tribute to the Belgian who died in a crash the previous day.

Weylandt lost his life when crashing on a downhill stretch of the Passo del Bocco. The teams and race officials took the decision to neutralise the stage and the peloton rolled through the stage into Livorno.

Each team took a 10km turn on the front of the race, as had been agreed at the start of the day, with the speed pegged at an average 35kph. Weylandt's Leopard-Trek squad took to the front of the peloton from Garmin-Cervelo for the final 3km before rolling in to the finish, arms linked, 10 metres ahead of the remaining teams.

Garmin-Cervelo team leader Tyler Farrar was a close friend and neighbour of Weylandt and he rode in the Belgian's place alongside the Leopard-Trek boys. Farrar confirmed ahead of Stage Four that he would ride in with the peloton before leaving the race.

"Wouter was like a brother for Tyler," Garmin-Cervelo's directeur sportif Lionel Marie said.

There were moving scenes before the start in Genoa. An area was reserved for the Leopard-Trek team bus, and riders filed through to offer condolences to the team's riders and staff.

"On days like today, aside from all of the problems that we have had, cycling behaves like a family," Leopard-Trek manager Brian Nygaard said ahead of the stage. "We need to stay together with our friends and companions. It's not a day to be alone. The best support we can give to the boys is to show that we are here on the road."

A moment's silence was observed ahead of the start of the stage and a military band played a bugle tribute to Weylandt, before the peloton set out for Livorno.

Huge crowds lined the roads with banners observing the memory of Weylandt, while many were seen waving No. 108 - which was the number the Belgian was given for this year's Giro.

Towards the end of the stage, the state pathologist carrying out Weylandt's autopsy revealed that the Belgian rider died instantly from his fall and would have felt no pain. It is a small consolation on a very sad day.

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