Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt died on Monday of head injuries sustained in a crash during Monday's third stage of the Giro d'Italia, according to dpa. Weylandt, 26, crashed in a descent with some 25 kilometres left in the stage and doctors tried in vain to save his life. He is the fourth rider to die at the Giro. "Wouter Weylandt was already unconscious when we arrived. We tried to resuscitate him for 40 minutes. But there was nothing we could do," Giro doctor Giovanni Tredici said in a statement carried by the race website. "He fractured his skull base and had severe facial injuries." Weylandt, who turned pro in 2004, leaves behind a wife who is expecting their first baby in September. His death comes a year after he won the same third stage of the Giro in 2010. He also won a stage at the 2008 Vuelta. Local prosecutors opened an inquiry into Weylandt's death and his body was taken to hospital in Lavagna for the post mortem. Tredici said the cause of the crash was not clear. Belgian reports said that he clipped the wall with a pedal on a narrow road in the descent from the Passo del Bocco and crashed. "Today, our teammate and friend Wouter Weylandt passed away after a crash on the third stage of the Giro d'Italia," Weylandt's team Leopard-Trek said in a statement on their website. "The team is left in a state of shock and sadness and we send all our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Wouter. This is a difficult day for cycling and for our team, and we should all seek support and strength in the people close to us." It was unclear whether the Leopard team would continue in the Giro. Reports said that team boss Brian Nygaard would leave the decision to each individual rider. But Giro d'Italia director Angelo Zomegnan, as quoted by the ANSA news agency, said Tuesday's stage would be held as scheduled. However, no award-giving ceremony or other celebrations would take place out of respect for Weylandt. "We will give the riders free choice on whether to participate in tomorrow's (Tuesday's) stage. We will respect any choice they make," Zomegnan said. The Belgian cycling federation (KBWB/RLVB) "was stunned to hear the news," a statement on its website read. "The KBWB/RLVB would like to present its sincere condolences to Wouter's family, friends and colleagues." The world governing cycling body UCI said in a statement: "On behalf of the whole cycling family, the UCI President Pat McQuaid wish to extend his deepest sympathies to all members of Weylandt's family, all his friends and teammates, but also to all his colleagues on the Giro, who will have to overcome their grief to continue in the race." Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was among those who expressed their feelings on Twitter. "I'm shocked and saddened. May he rest in peace," Armstrong tweeted. Weylandt is the fourth rider to die at the Giro, following Orfeo Ponsin in 1952, Juan Manuel Santisteban in 1976 and Emilio Ravasio in 1986. The last rider to die in one of the big stage races was Italy's Fabio Casartelli at the 1995 Tour de France. Weylandt's death was announced more than half an hour after the completion of the 173km stage from Reggio Emilia to Rapallo which was won by Angel Vicioso Arcos of Spain in 3 hours 57 minutes 38 seconds ahead of Briton David Millar and Pablo Lastras Garcia of Spain. There was no victory ceremony in the wake of Weylandt's crash of which the other riders were initially not informed about. Millar took over as the new overall leader. It was not clear whether the Giro would continue as planned with the fourth stage over 216km from Genoa to Livorno on Tuesday after Weylandt's death.
