The rider's tribute ride to a colleague and friend: Giro d'Italia Stage 4

[TeoSheva]

Where are the pics in the gazetta? Sorry, the commentators are talking about them - mentioned here - is the only place to see them if you are holding the paper? Thanks.

it's on the paper... but it's online also (somewhere). It's not a nice picture, but you can't see the face of the poor Wouter... you can see some blood and part of his body...

 

[Tuarts]

Riding at a certain tempo like they are is at least a bit practical as well as commemorative in that the riders wont go onto the next stage with a completely interrupted routine. Not trying to say its all about the racing but at least tomorrow if they want to give it their all they wont be completely stuffed as they might have been from a day of no racing (and limited riding).

 

[TeoSheva]

Where are the pics in the gazetta? Sorry, the commentators are talking about them - mentioned here - is the only place to see them if you are holding the paper? Thanks.

this is the first page of the gazzetta...

it is not a pleasant image: be aware before click it!

http://www.gazzetta.it/primapagina/images/prima_pagina_grande.png

edit on suggestion of TeamSkyFans

 

[Ferminal]

They are almost at 37km/h average for the day. They will have to take it very easy on or after to climb to make sure no one is dropped.

 

[Anonymous]

this is the first page of the gazzetta...

http://www.gazzetta.it/primapagina/images/prima_pagina_grande.png

Might be worth noting that it is not a pleasant image so people know before they click it.

 

[CatsNK]

this is the first page of the gazzetta...

http://www.gazzetta.it/primapagina/images/prima_pagina_grande.png

OMG how could they?

 

[thirteen]

OMG how could they?

that's something to be discussed elsewhere.

let's keep on topic in this thread about the stage and the coverage.

 

[dlwssonic]

this is the first page of the gazzetta...

http://www.gazzetta.it/primapagina/images/prima_pagina_grande.png

wow thats gory at least they are covering the face. The problem is someone put a video of it on youtube.

 

[fezzer]

Very respectful and touching moment at the start today.

Impossible to imagine what the family, friends, teammates and fellow racers are going through right now, as it was hard enough for me, without knowing the person besides his racing.

 

[Merckx index]

Don't know if this has been posted before, but Bonnie Ford had this to say about the dangers of cycling:

The risks in road cycling at this level are truly beyond comprehension for those of us who don't do it for a living. We tend to focus on the strength, endurance and tactics required in the climbs and the reflexes it takes to survive and prosper in bunch sprints because they easily translate to television, which is how 99 percent of us see races.

But there is absolutely no way to convey what these athletes do when they go downhill. The speed, the body control, the fluidity, the instinct and science of picking a line -- they make it look easy. Some of them even revel in it. We talk about "making up time" or "catching back on" in descents as if it's routine, but five minutes as a passenger in a team car in the Dauphine Libere race in the Alps years ago was enough to convince me that it is the most underappreciated aspect of the sport.

And I didn't know this about Tyler Farrar:

Farrar, whose surgeon father Ed lost the use of his lower body in a bike-car accident three years ago, has already endured more than his share of heartache.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/columns/story?columnist=ford_bonnie_d&id=6515689

 

[Mellow Velo]

As the memorial procession rides closer to it's conclusion, it is noticeable that the commentary is subtly becoming a little less somber.
Perhaps, starting to try to look ahead, rather than just to reflect.

 

[thirteen]

oops!

what just happened there?

ah, and " ciao wouter" on the road...

 

[Jamsque]

Rai have a presenter who sits on a laptop and reads comments from Facebook and the like, he was just on these forums and read out the last couplet of the poem someone posted in the memorial thread.

 

[spalco]

It's very moving to see so many people standing on the side of the road.

 

[jobiwan]

Those are some very nice pictures of the fans on the road.
Any other day, that climb would be a nightmare. Glad it's not today.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

first ciao Wouter on the road, then people showing his number 108.
beautiful gestures....

 

[Ferminal]

Worked out well with Renshaw and Cav setting the pace.

Nice crowds on the Montenero.

 

[thirteen]

first ciao Wouter on the road, then people showing his number 108.
beautiful gestures....

it's choking me up

 

[Mellow Velo]

Wasn't that something.

 

[Francois the Postman]

You know, as a cycling family, we're quite a big one.

 

[thirteen]

You know, as a cycling family, we're quite a big one.

and quite a loving one, when push comes to shove.

 

[TeoSheva]

Might be worth noting that it is not a pleasant image so people know before they click it.

thank you and sorry... I edited it

 

[eleven]

I'm a bit late to the game on this thread, but...

It's interesting and appropriate that they are making a memorial of this stage -but doing so at a very high pace. The peloton's not dropping the hammer, but they are certainly flying right along. For whatever reason that feels quite fitting to me.

 

[jobiwan]

Harmon's right. The scenery is beautiful, just unfortunate circumstances.

 

[Tuarts]

All quite stretched out now, wonder if that's planned?