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Belgian rider dies after crash in Tour of Italy

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-05-10 15:20

Quick-Step rider Wouter Weylandt of Belgium wins the 17th stage of the Tour of Spain "La Vuelta" cycling race between Zamora and Valladolid in this Sept 17, 2008 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

RAPALLO, Italy - Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt died following a crash during the third stage of the Tour of Italy (Giro d'Italia) on Monday.

"Despite immediate treatment there was nothing we could do," Giro doctor Giovanni Tredici told Rai Television.

Leopard-Trek rider Weylandt, 26, fell off his bike in the descent from the Passo del Bocco.

Doctors at the scene cut off his helmet and performed CPR treatment for 40 minutes but in vain.

Helmets have been mandatory in cycling since the death of Kazakhstan's Andrei Kivilev during the Paris-Nice race in 2003. Italian Thomas Casarotto dies following a crash during last year's Giro del Friuli.

The last rider to die in a crash in a grand tour was Italy's Fabio Casartelli during the 1995 Tour de France.

Weylandt claimed his biggest career win when he won the third stage of last year's Giro.

Briton Mark Cavendish wrote on his Twitter feed: "Things like this shouldn't happen. Absolutely sick to the stomach. My thoughts are with his family. RIP Wouter Weylandt."