Giro will Retire number 108

[la.margna]

very respectable and good decision.

 

[Benotti69]

you even saw it along the road today and, i imagine, will throughout the race.

108 is taken.

Yep the fans decided that Wouter took it with him when he left the race and i was sad that the riders didn't wear his number yesterday, but it didn't take away from yesterdays beautiful tribute.

 

[Benotti69]

108 T-shirt lets you pay tribute to Wouter Weylandt while helping his family


http://road.cc/content/news/35761-1...bute-wouter-weylandt-while-helping-his-family

buy here

http://stomachofanger.com/108.shtml

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yep the fans decided that Wouter took it with him when he left the race and i was sad that the riders didn't wear his number yesterday, but it didn't take away from yesterdays beautiful tribute.

I had hoped the riders would have all worn Wouter's number, but the fans wearing it is just as powerful if not more powerful. The number of fans who carried his race number to the stage, put it on souvenirs and lined the road with it created an image powerful enough that the number, at least at this race, is now so clearly linked to Wouter that the organisation have reacted to the sheer strength of the fans' statements.

Race numbers (other than 1) mean nothing. But thanks to all the fans who came to watch a bike race and pay their respects and homages, even though they knew they weren't going to see any racing, there is now a clear exception. It's a powerful statement.

 

[Spare Tyre]

I'd prefer acknowledgement in the form of a memorial prize associated with Stage 3. A Wouter Weylant Memorial prize (or whatever) is self-explanatory no matter how much time has passed, whereas the anomaly in the numbering system is not.

 

[skippy]

Since Tuesday people have been holding up the 108 on the side of the road both printed and hand written .
Perhaps a newspaper or the media inspired this gesture but riding the route on Tuesday reminded me of the Saturday Pantani failed to start !
Spectators as well as team members both Racers and assistants were in a sombre mood all day .
Best solution for the Giro would be to have no team with 101 to 109 thus highlighting the absense of W.W. and like the missing aircraft in the fly over formation will honour his memory .
Tuesday i cycled in black and noticed that many teams like myself were unable to get black ribbon so used black handlebar sticky tape . Genoa seems to no longer have "mercelleria's" that sell sewing materials .
HTC retaped their bike handlebars in black . Outside the compound securing the Leopard team were many distressed riders before the day's event rolled out of the Depart village . Such things as flying flags at half mast were missed since there were none to be seen in the whole area . I flew the Aussie Flag upside down which any sailor will tell you is the thing to do when at sea and in "distress" .

Had blogged about W.W. after commenting in the forum .

 

[Mambo95]

I had hoped the riders would have all worn Wouter's number, but the fans wearing it is just as powerful if not more powerful.

With these things, there's a fine line between what is a heartfelt gesture and what is a trite gimmick. And where that line is varies enormously from person to person.

For the authorities, to my mind, it's always best to keep things very simple and then gauge the public reaction. The widespread display of 108 made it's retirement appropriate.

 

[skippy]

Checkout http://yfrog.com/h0opgmsmj ! Seems that C. Vdv has a great idea but will there be a way to distribute effectively and possibly create funds for a "Wouter Foundation" ?