Wouter Weylandt crash- doesn't look good
Comments
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Was watching the race live when it happened. You could tell from that first shot of him it wasn't going to end well. Truly terrible news.I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.0
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NapoleonD wrote:He isn't and shouldn't get flamed, he's entitled to that opinion.
However, IMO the reason this generates these thoughts by everyone is that we can empathise with it as we all ride our bikes, most if not all have crashed at some point and it could all happen to us. i.e. it makes us realise our own mortality and it's consequences for loved ones.
When we hear of tragedies involving circumstances we have no knowledge or understanding of, it's almost impossible for us to comprehend and we simply can't empathise no matter how hard we try.
That's the way I see it anyway.
absolutely,
its then a situation that i can understand & became emotional about especially when actually watching it unfold in front of you
i was only commenting today to a work mate on how lucky i was that the road was clear on saturday when i slid in the rain or it could have been a lot worse than cuts & bruises,
plus then also reactions from loved ones when you tell them come back into focus
RIP Wouter, best wishes to your family, friends & teammates0 -
15peter20 +1
especially in respect to theyorkshireman0 -
Yellow Peril wrote:Truly shocking news.
I think most people on this forum considered last year's Giro to be the best GT and everyone was looking forward to this year. Unfortunately part of what made the Giro so good to watch last year were the tough climbs and descents and it seems that a big price has now been paid for that and, although I have not seen any of today's stage, I feel a sense of shame having looked forward to seeing the riders on a tough parcours.
Hopefully lessons can be learnt to increase rider safety without compromising the racing. There will always be accidents and mishaps but part of Weylandts legacy will hopefully be that riders never have any doubts about the course that they are on.
Tough, exciting racing doesn't necessarily mean dangerous. e.g Tour of Flanders.0 -
Rest in peace Wouter.0
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I usually go to my Mum`s on a monday for my dinner after work. - I Sky+ the race as i got home a bit early...As Cavendish said i felt physically sick even when my mum said what`s up as she seen my face as i walked in. I was nearly in tears it was that emotional even tho you dont even have to meet a person. I am Truly gutted that our cycling family have lost a talented young man. God rest his soul.
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A death of anyone when it is unexpected is horrific, especially when it happens when participating in what is to most people almost a fun pastime. I am a little surprised that the professional world of cycling doesn't seem to be as concerned about the dangers compared to F1 for example, there certainly doesn't appear to be the same effort made to try to make it safer, which probably reflects the feeling that it isn't perhaps considered a "dangerous" sport. In any case, its a tragic event, especially for his family who must be devastated, and my thoughts are with them right now.0
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It's truly shocking I too felt ill at the news. Sorry if that's perceived as hollow, by some...The pros put themselves at great danger for our entertainment, and mostly get poorly rewarded.
RIP WouterYou live and learn. At any rate, you live0 -
Deepest condolences to all his family.
I thought about recording it before I went to work today, but didn't as I could watch the re-run later in the evening. I couldn't understand why it wasn't on till I saw it on Sky News, and I'm glad I didn't record it. One person made a safety comparison with F1 but cycling can never be like that: safety in F1 has improved enormously because it is now carried on in a much more controlled, compact and dedicated environment, whereas everyone knows cycling a distance of over 100 miles through towns and the countryside will generate far greater hazards. Add to that that road cycling attire has never changed at all other than the compulsion to ride with helmets.0 -
OMG!
I heard that there had been tragic circumstances to Wouter and have just watched the race after finishing work. I'm a ICU nurse and i'm used to seeing some of the most terrible things that can happen in life. That however moved me to tears. So much I'm still tearful now as I type.
What a tragic end to a wonderful life. My thoughts and prayers are with him and all his family and friends.
Well done David Harmon on carryng on with composure and compassion.
R.I.P WouterBianchi. There are no alternatives only compromises!
I RIDE A KONA CADABRA -would you like to come and have a play with my magic link?0 -
TheYorkshireMan wrote:wicked wrote:This thread is for Wouter lets keep it that way? RIP.
Yes, let's all continue to make empty platitudes ('RIP', 'God bless', 'I'm gutted' ', and so on) about someone who we never knew and before this day were probably hardly aware of. It's the done thing, don't you know?
To my mind, unless those who said they 'prayed' for Weylandt, shed tears over his death and so on, react in the same way to other far greater human tragedies - such as the death of those refugees - then their declarations of empathy and compassion are pretty empty. Then again, it is a sad trait of humanity that empathy for others is often only extended to those who are perceived as being 'similar' in some way.
As I said, this is a black day for cycling and those who knew him personally, especially his family, will undoubtedly be genuinely devastated. However, as long as the fans demand that races such as the Giro present a 'spectacle' they are hardly best placed to wring their hands when a rider pays the price of the organisers attempting to provide them with 'thrilling entertainment'.
I'm happy to leave it there - unless others wish to take issue with what I have said, in which case perhaps they should start another thread.
why is the death of many more sorrowful than the death of one?
Loss is not a league table.
You have no right, no way, no means of determining when a 'platitude' is empty or meaningful?
The tragedy of a young life cut short in pursuit of a sport to provide pleasure for others is plain to all on this forum but yourself. Perhaps you should consider leaving the forum or at least this post and leave those who wish to express their feelings and sympathies to do so free from your blatantly ill mannered antagonistic comments.
If it meets with your criteria, once again Wouter RIP, and god bless you and your family. XXThe dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.0 -
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Terribly sad whenever anyone dies young whatever the circumstances - obviously we feel more of a connection when someone dies doing something we do ourselves (albeit mostly at a totally different level) and who we have been aware of through the sport.
A tragic accident - I wouldn't blame the race organisers for the descent - it was a fast and difficult descent but no more so than many.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
davelakers wrote:
Yes, was just about to post that myself. Also, from a man who survived a bad crash himself
http://johanbruyneel.com/blog/wouter_weylandt.html0 -
Tom Butcher wrote:A tragic accident - I wouldn't blame the race organisers for the descent - it was a fast and difficult descent but no more so than many.
+1
I watched the footage live and as everyone who saw it has said it was truly horrific. Cycling is incomparable to other ‘dangerous’ sports as a crash at those speeds with only lycra and polystyrene to protect you is no match for the safety equipment of other sports.
I’m sure the route had been checked by the race organisers and every ‘hazard’ would be noted and made available to the riders or a marshall would be furiously waving a flag.
It seems to race doctor was there within 20 - 30 seconds who was assisted by the Garmin doctor and the other medical teams were there within 2 minutes. That is a fast response for any sport. The only issue was the helicopter not being able to land due to the canopy of the trees. This however would not have saved Wouters’ life as it appears he was dead before he hit the ground.
A tragic accident.
RIP*Insert something witty or profound here*0 -
Such a sad loss for someone so young and clearly a true lover of cycling.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, especially Sophie, his girlfriend as she awaits the birth of their first child in September.
For his family, his friends I hope that the passage of time heals the grief.
(William Fotheringham makes a constructive contribution on this sad event here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/ma ... iro-italiaCommon sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom0 -
pastey_boy wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/08/nato-ship-libyan-migrantsNato units left 61 African migrants to die of hunger and thirst
For those who give a toss about the above story ,then please head over to "Migrant radar" to leave relevant comments.
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... c&start=40camerone wrote:i cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this race. David Millar has described it as pure massacre..
Comments such as the above seem to pretty much confirm what I was saying.0 -
davelakers wrote:
+10 -
What I don't understand is why the director of Eurosport or whoever decided to show the close shot of Wouter in a very bad way. Totally unnecessary and very disturbing for some.0
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What I don't understand is why the director of Eurosport or whoever decided to show the close shot of Wouter in a very bad way. Totally unnecessary and very disturbing for some.0
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Unfortunately Eurosport don't control the camera feed, that comes from RAI so the presenters have to respond to the shots that appear.
As the the crash itself wasn't caught on camera I can only assume the camera man didn't know circumstances when he approached and, to be fair, he pulled out quickly.0 -
For one thing, no human life should be thought of as being intrinsically less worthy than any other, so 61 deaths is 61 times as great a tragedy as the death of a single person.Cleat Eastwood wrote:why is the death of many more sorrowful than the death of one?
Loss is not a league table.
If 'loss is not a league table', why should 'humanity' still be wringing its hands about, for example, the Holocaust of WW2? Would people still be endlessly analysing such events (and completely missing the real lesson that is to be learned) if only 3 people had been killed? I doubt it.
Secondly the way those refugees were left to die is vastly more tragic than the death of a professional sportsman who was doing what he loved and was given every care possible when he crashed.
I as suggested earlier and many comments on here confirm, people can show great empathy for others, but only on the condition that the 'victim' is perceived to be similar to oneself in some way. In other cases, to paraphrase what someone has already said on here, most people don't 'give a toss'. To me that is a sad reflection on the true nature of human 'empathy' and 'compassion'.
Of course, as this is a universal human trait cyclists themselves are often the 'victims' of a lack of empathy on the part of others, with many drivers treating cyclists as being little more than an annoying object that 'gets in the way'. (As a recent DfT report points out). I guess it is my awareness of this that is the reason why overt displays of 'bounded compassion' such as this rattle my cage so much.0 -
TheYorkshireMan
I don't disagree with anything you've written: it's cogent, well argued &, IMO, ethically sound. What I do disagree with, however, is the timing & placement of your comments.
Whatever the reason(s) folk are reacting, one thing is clear and unequivocal, people are upset. Challenging people when they are upset is fantastically bad at changing anything, so is pointless, & is fairly crass.
Perhaps the more appropriate response would be to wait a few days, then start a thread in Cake Stop?
For me, this event brings my excitement about this race into perspective. RIP.0 -
Was planing a 40Km ride for last night...instead, I took my MTB for a slow, leisurely 14Km ride on the local trails...
Like in any professional sport, there is always the risk of injury or even worse, death. These sportsmen know it but they are willing to take these risks as they love what they do and being on the edge is what drives them forward and what makes all of us follow them...
RIP Wouter Weylandt0 -
RIP Wouter, as others have said a tragic and sickening crash. Wish I hadn't watched the live footage now.
Definitely a reminder how dangerous cycling can be and a confidence knock to see that a pro who is a good descender can get it wrong with such a tragic outcome.
TheYorkshireMan - this isn't the place to lecture people on how they should feel about 1 death compared to many. A lot of us watched this and although we may not have known him it is still a tragedy. I never knew anyone that died in Japan but I was still affected by that too. Please show some compassion and leave the thread, it's just not the thread to argue in......Current steed is a '07 Carrera Banshee X
+ cheap road/commuting bike0 -
I'm not sure which site I read it on (possibly Velonation or Venonews), but there was an eye witness account of the accident from another cyclist. Based on that account Weyland was riding on his own about 50 metres ahead of a group of cyclists. It was explained that he looked around (I think the cyclist giving the account suggested that he thought Weylandt was probably thinking of waiting for the group). As he did that he brushed a wall and crashed.
Assuming the account is correct this is an accident that could have happened on any course. Just a slight loss of concentration, that 999 times out of 1000 wouldn't be a problem. I don't think it is anything to do with the "brutal" Giro route this year or super dangerous roads, but probably just a fatal end that resulted from a slight judgement.
Cycling is a dangerous activity. As this accident shows, a helmet doesn't make you invulnerable. In fact, taking it one step further, any one of us could have an accident like that. If anything, it highlights the need to concentrate at all times, as even a moment that seems "safe" can end up fatally.0 -
TheYorkshireMan wrote:
For one thing, no human life should be thought of as being intrinsically less worthy than any other, so 61 deaths is 61 times as great a tragedy as the death of a single person.Cleat Eastwood wrote:why is the death of many more sorrowful than the death of one?
Loss is not a league table.
If 'loss is not a league table', why should 'humanity' still be wringing its hands about, for example, the Holocaust of WW2? Would people still be endlessly analysing such events (and completely missing the real lesson that is to be learned) if only 3 people had been killed? I doubt it.
Secondly the way those refugees were left to die is vastly more tragic than the death of a professional sportsman who was doing what he loved and was given every care possible when he crashed.
I as suggested earlier and many comments on here confirm, people can show great empathy for others, but only on the condition that the 'victim' is perceived to be similar to oneself in some way. In other cases, to paraphrase what someone has already said on here, most people don't 'give a toss'. To me that is a sad reflection on the true nature of human 'empathy' and 'compassion'.
Of course, as this is a universal human trait cyclists themselves are often the 'victims' of a lack of empathy on the part of others, with many drivers treating cyclists as being little more than an annoying object that 'gets in the way'. (As a recent DfT report points out). I guess it is my awareness of this that is the reason why overt displays of 'bounded compassion' such as this rattle my cage so much.
I bet you're the guy everyone wants at their funeral.
Take your chat elsewhere - it's inappropriate.0 -
TheYorkshireMan wrote:
For one thing, no human life should be thought of as being intrinsically less worthy than any other, so 61 deaths is 61 times as great a tragedy as the death of a single person.Cleat Eastwood wrote:why is the death of many more sorrowful than the death of one?
Loss is not a league table.
If 'loss is not a league table', why should 'humanity' still be wringing its hands about, for example, the Holocaust of WW2? Would people still be endlessly analysing such events (and completely missing the real lesson that is to be learned) if only 3 people had been killed? I doubt it.
Secondly the way those refugees were left to die is vastly more tragic than the death of a professional sportsman who was doing what he loved and was given every care possible when he crashed.
I as suggested earlier and many comments on here confirm, people can show great empathy for others, but only on the condition that the 'victim' is perceived to be similar to oneself in some way. In other cases, to paraphrase what someone has already said on here, most people don't 'give a toss'. To me that is a sad reflection on the true nature of human 'empathy' and 'compassion'.
Of course, as this is a universal human trait cyclists themselves are often the 'victims' of a lack of empathy on the part of others, with many drivers treating cyclists as being little more than an annoying object that 'gets in the way'. (As a recent DfT report points out). I guess it is my awareness of this that is the reason why overt displays of 'bounded compassion' such as this rattle my cage so much.
Actually seeing a cyclist die live on TV can have quite a profound effect on people.
I don't think anyone has said that the death of those refugees is less of a tragedy, but this is the PRO RACE forum.More problems but still living....0 -
Terrible terrible day.
Wouter lived in the village next to mine & I hadn't heard the news during the day as I try to avoid the updates so I can watch the TV recording later in the evening.
I was training along the Schelde last night just as Wouter frequently did, and the news came on the flemish radio. The first words were Wouter Weylandt & I immediately pulled my headphones out thinking they were reporting him as the winner of the stage.
I carried on my training session with a huge smile on my face & a great feeling of jubilation thinking he had won another Giro stage.
Obviously watching the coverage later on brought this horrific news to me.
I just feel gutted & terribly emotional. So so sorry for his partner, unborn child & family.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:TheYorkshireMan wrote:
For one thing, no human life should be thought of as being intrinsically less worthy than any other, so 61 deaths is 61 times as great a tragedy as the death of a single person.Cleat Eastwood wrote:why is the death of many more sorrowful than the death of one?
Loss is not a league table.
If 'loss is not a league table', why should 'humanity' still be wringing its hands about, for example, the Holocaust of WW2? Would people still be endlessly analysing such events (and completely missing the real lesson that is to be learned) if only 3 people had been killed? I doubt it.
Secondly the way those refugees were left to die is vastly more tragic than the death of a professional sportsman who was doing what he loved and was given every care possible when he crashed.
I as suggested earlier and many comments on here confirm, people can show great empathy for others, but only on the condition that the 'victim' is perceived to be similar to oneself in some way. In other cases, to paraphrase what someone has already said on here, most people don't 'give a toss'. To me that is a sad reflection on the true nature of human 'empathy' and 'compassion'.
Of course, as this is a universal human trait cyclists themselves are often the 'victims' of a lack of empathy on the part of others, with many drivers treating cyclists as being little more than an annoying object that 'gets in the way'. (As a recent DfT report points out). I guess it is my awareness of this that is the reason why overt displays of 'bounded compassion' such as this rattle my cage so much.
I bet you're the guy everyone wants at their funeral.
Take your chat elsewhere - it's inappropriate.
+10
This discussion has been closed.
