Very sad news from the world of cycling yesterday.
I don't know how many of my readers know that I'm a big cycling fan and do triathlons fairly regularly, but it's really sad to hear that Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt died in the Giro d'Italia yesterday.
He was descending a mountain pass and apparently clipped his pedal or handlebar on a wall and was thrown from his bike, sustaining a severe head injury. The medics (who were following close behind the riders) were unable to revive him after 40 minutes of trying.
These cyclists can reach speeds of 40-50 mph when descending, and a small mistake is accentuated to lethal levels at those speeds. I've reached that kind of speed on straight descents, and, while exhilarating, it's harrowing to know that a bump in the road or gust of wind could leave you sprawled out and sliding on the street. Road rash like that doesn't heal quickly or painlessly, but at least it heals.
So I extend my condolences to Wouter's family and pregnant girlfriend, the Leopard-Trek (current) and Quick Step (former) teams, as well as the entire cycling family world-wide.
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