One day after the death of their team-mate Wouter Weylandt, and hours after they led the peloton home on a neutralised stage dedicated to his memory, the Leopard Trek team has confirmed that it will leave the 2011 Giro d’Italia.
The squad weighed up the decision since yesterday’s tragic events and, according to a team statement issued a short while ago, has decided to head home. This has been accepted by team management.
“The decision needed to be taken by the riders, because they are the ones that participate in the race,” said general manager Brian Nygaard in the communique. “We have always said that we would stand behind their choice.
“We wish to thank the other teams, the race organisation RCS, the Italian authorities and all the fans on the road between Genova and Livorno on today’s stage, as the peloton paid tribute to Wouter Weylandt.”
The decision sees the team join Tyler Farrar in leaving the Grand Tour after four days. Although Farrar is part of the Garmin-Cervélo team, the American lives in Weylandt’s hometown of Ghent in Belgium and was a very close friend of his. He was visibly emotional crossing the finish line today, wiping his eyes, and has been very affected by what happened.
Speaking after the finish, his fellow pro Michael Barry articulated what everyone was feeling. “It was a tough day for everybody, I think. It is not really a day to be racing bikes,” he told VeloNation.
However the fact that each team pulled for ten kilometres meant that the effort of a long day in the saddle was spread out evenly between the squads. Aside from spreading the workload, it was also a superb show of solidarity and meant that the Leopard Trek team knew that it wasn’t alone.
Barry said that it was helpful to all in coming to terms with the tragic events. “I think today was a good day for us to all talk about it in the peloton and reflect on what happened yesterday. It was nice that we rode through the stage together,” he said.
The Leopard Trek considered continuing, but its captain Fabian Wegmann explained that ultimately, the riders decided to head back home. “We have a lot of respect for the Giro d’Italia and for cycling, but we simply cannot continue racing given the circumstances,” he said. “We are professional athletes, but we feel this is the right thing to do.”
The Giro d'Italia will continue onwards tomorrow without one of its big teams. Other riders from the Leopard Trek squad will soon be back in action for the Amgen Tour of California, but they too will be devastated by what has occurred.