108 - Belgian Fed says "use it"

[Archibald]

CN article: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/belgian-federation-calls-for-continued-use-of-race-number-108

The Belgian cycling federation has spoken out against the retirement of race number 108, saying it won't bring back Wouter Weylandt. The KBWB said that the number would be assigned in the national road race on Sunday and called on other races to follow suit...

..."It has to stop,” Freddy Van Steen of the KBWB said, according to sporza. “In this way Weylandt's death is always brought up again. That is why the federation will not do it.”

I thought it was only for the Giro that 108 wasn't going to be used, or has everyone else started doing this?

I have no real issue should they not use 108 in the Giro, but can't see why the other races would follow suit.

Thoughts?

 

[krismtb]

Strange because 108 has always been a lucky number for me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/108_(number)

 

[RedheadDane]

I also thought it was just the Giro but it seems as if a number of Belgian races has followed through.

I can definitely understand both their arguments; it won't bring him back and will only serve as a constant reminder.

On the other hand, I think it's cool it's not going to be assigned in the Giro anymore.

 

[T-Nielsen]

I have never been a large fan of the idear of not using a number any more. I would rather it where used and the person it is was related to, in this case Wouter, would be hounored through wins and great efforts made by the person wearing "his" number.

He deserves to be remembered for who he was and not how he died.

 

[skippy]

The fact that the Giro has decided to honour Wouter in this way is worth noting and other Tour Organisers choosing to follow through show they are in step with the public's expression of sympathy towards his family & friends .

Public events that honour his career should leave the number unassigned but other than the Giro it would be more appropriate to use this number as normal .

There are many others jumping on the opportunity to associate with Wouter and i feel sure that as time passes there will be less of this .

I am not adding any further to the " hill108project " since i set this going as there are some mushrooms trying to make more of that project than the original purpose .

 

[El Oso]

Personally I don't agree with it since the numbers in cycling aren't set. It's not like it's football were Wouter was always number 108, he just happened to be number 108 in the Giro, his team was the eleventh alphabetically and he was given the number 8 within the team (it looks like they didn't go alphabetical within the teams).

I can't think of any other race doing the same thing: Casartelli and Simpson's numbers aren't retired in the Tour, Kivilev's number isn't retired in P-N.

 

[Descender]

I think it's a reasonable decision.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

While it is "nice" and well intentioned, it is rather post-Diana mawkish and more emotional than thought out in it. For 5 years or maybe, but in 20 years? 50?

What if, God forbid, another rider in the number range 100-109 suffers a fatal accident in some future year?

Popular expressions of sympathy can be very moving, and can help people keep a sense of perspective, but we need people to be strong enough to say "enough" at the risk of being unsympathetic.

 

[thirteen]

leaving it out of the Giro makes sense.

anywhere else (unless, obviously, it's a ride in memory of WW) it's just maudlin.

i applaud the decision.

 

[For The World]

I can't think of any other race doing the same thing: Casartelli and Simpson's numbers aren't retired in the Tour, Kivilev's number isn't retired in P-N.

I was going to reply mentioning the exact same people. Why retire one number when there are others that should be retired also? Have a memorial for him on the mountain just like with Simpson and Casartelli, but that's really all that's needed.

 

[The Gnome]

I think it fine to leave it out of the Giro if they want it that way as it is their race...personally, I would leave it out one more year, do an honest homage and then bring it back there as well...as for races in Belgium, of course not...very practical Belgian decision...reminds me what I love about the Flemish...

 

[ElChingon]

You honor the man not the number.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Personally I don't agree with it since the numbers in cycling aren't set. It's not like it's football were Wouter was always number 108, he just happened to be number 108 in the Giro, his team was the eleventh alphabetically and he was given the number 8 within the team (it looks like they didn't go alphabetical within the teams).

I can't think of any other race doing the same thing: Casartelli and Simpson's numbers aren't retired in the Tour, Kivilev's number isn't retired in P-N.

I think the difference is, the fans spoke in this case. It was the following days with the number of placards, banners and race numbers held up by fans. The Italian fans that lined the roadside for the rest of the Giro clearly equated Wouter with his race number, and the sheer volume of such activity made it a powerful statement to remove the number from future editions.

Does the number need to be retired? Maybe not. Certainly not from races other than the Giro (unless we have a Memorial Wouter Weylandt race set up where it would likely be entirely appropriate given how the fans associated Weylandt with the number he wore on May 9), and maybe it's a difficult precedent, but it's a worthy gesture from RCS.

 

[Swingtop]

Over-emotionalism is a growing 'problem' my opinion. Weylandt's death was a big drama, I was totally shocked myself, but there are a gazillion other things with equal or more impact, inside and outside of sports. Be a man/woman, and get over it. But then again, being a man is also getting harder in the feminizing western world.
I applaud the Belgian union's view.