Eight remaining men to discuss options after today’s neutralised stage
The remaining eight riders in the Leopard Trek Giro d’Italia team will decide this evening whether they will continue with the race or not, according to Luxembourg newspaper Tageblatt. The team’s main backer, Luxembourg businessman Flavio Becca, has reportedly insisted that the decision should be left to the riders themselves.
“The riders wanted to start today to commemorate Wouter,” Leopard Trek spokesman Tim Vanderjeugd told Tageblatt this morning. “After Tuesday’s stage they will get together to decide whether they will still start tomorrow.”
All eight riders rode the length of the fourth stage today. They crossed the line ahead of the peloton, along with Garmin-Cervélo sprinter Tyler Farrar – one of Weylandt’s closest friends – in a manner reminiscent of the Motorola team in the 1995 Tour de France, following the death of Italian rider Fabio Casartelli.
The Garmin-Cervélo team has confirmed that Farrar himself has decided to return to his European home in Belgium following the stage. Whether or not the eight Leopard Trek riders will be leaving with him, we will either find out later this evening or when the race resumes tomorrow morning.
This story will be updated with further news when we have it.