Tyler Farrar lead the Leopard-Trek riders and the rest of the peloton across the line, as cycling paid tribute to Wouter Weylandt during stage four of the Giro D’Italia.
Weylandt lost his life during stage three, after a crash on the final decent on the Passo del Bocco. It is believed that the Belgian’s pedal clipped a wall, as he turned to look back up the hill. Riders paid tribute, along with viewers around the world, to Weylandt with one minutes silence before the stage.
Race organiser Angelo Zomegnan confirmed the stage’s neutralisation, during a meeting at 11.15, but it was a mere formality as no one wanted to race today. The teams decided to each take it in turn to pace the peloton, at around 40kph, in the order of the classification. As the group moved under the flamme rouge, maglia Rosa wearer, David Millar waved Weylandt’s Leopard-Trek teammates through to the front of the peloton.
Millar’s own teammate Farrar was Weylandt’s best friend and he too joined the front, in tribute. The emotions have been too much for the American and he has chosen to go home, where he can come to terms with the accident. Leopard-Trek has chosen to continue the race after being asked to do so by Weylandt’s family. Stage four will not count towards the general classification and the order will stay as it was for stage five which is 191 km from Piombino to Orvieto.
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