Wouter Weylandt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wouter Weylandt

Weylandt in Wetteren, Belgium, 2007
Personal information
Full name	Wouter Weylandt
Born	(1984-09-27)27 September 1984 Ghent, Belgium
Died	9 May 2011(2011-05-09) (aged 26) Mezzanego, Italy
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Sprinter
Major wins
Grand Tours Giro d'Italia 1 individual stage (2010) Vuelta a España 1 individual stage (2008)

Wouter Weylandt (born September 27, 1984 – died May 9, 2011) was a professional cyclist from Belgium. He rode for the Quick-Step team and later for Leopard Trek.

Wouter was known for his strong sprinting skills. He won a stage in the 2008 Vuelta a España and another stage in the 2010 Giro d'Italia. Sadly, he passed away after a crash during the 2011 Giro d'Italia.

Wouter's Cycling Journey

Wouter Weylandt started his professional cycling career in September 2004. He joined the Quick-Step team. In his first races, he showed he was a talented rider.

In 2005, Wouter became a full professional cyclist. He faced a challenge early on when he got sick with mononucleosis. But by the end of the year, he was back to his best. He won a race called the GP Briek Schotte. This showed everyone his excellent sprinting ability.

During 2006, Wouter didn't win any big races. However, he was very consistent. He often finished well in sprints. He even won the points competition in the Tour of Poland. This meant he was one of the best sprinters in that race.

In 2007, Wouter started winning more often. He won a stage in the Three Days of West Flanders. He also won the Tour of Groene Hart. Later that year, he won stages in the Tour of Belgium, Ster Elektrotoer, and the Eneco Tour. He even wore the leader's yellow jersey for a day in the Tour of Poland.

The year 2008 was also very successful for Wouter. He won the Nokere Koerse race. He also achieved one of his best results in a one-day race. He finished third in the famous Gent–Wevelgem classic. This was a great achievement against top riders.

Later in 2008, Wouter raced in the Vuelta a España. This was his first major "Grand Tour" race. He was supposed to help his team leader, but when his leader left the race, Wouter took his chance. He won the 17th stage in a sprint! This was a huge victory for him. After that, he won another race, the Omloop van de Vlaamse Scheldeboorden.

In 2009, Wouter continued to win. He won the Memorial José Samyn race. A few days later, he won another stage in the Three Days of West Flanders. He also finished well in the tough Paris–Roubaix race.

In 2010, Wouter won a stage in the Tour of Italy. This was another big win in a Grand Tour. He had to leave the race early because he got sick.

Even though his contract with Quick-Step wasn't renewed, Wouter found a new team. He joined the new Leopard Trek team in 2011. He was meant to be a helper for another sprinter. But when that sprinter couldn't race, Wouter became the main sprinter for his team in the 2011 Giro d'Italia.

Iljo Keisse and Weylandt during the 2011 E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

Wouter's Passing

On May 9, 2011, during Stage 3 of the 2011 Giro d'Italia, Wouter Weylandt had a serious crash. This happened while he was going downhill. He was riding very fast, around 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph).

Wouter looked back for a moment and then lost control of his bike. He hit a low concrete barrier on the side of the road. He was thrown to the other side of the road, hitting another obstacle.

Medical staff were very close by and reached him quickly. They reported that Wouter died instantly from his severe injuries. He was wearing a helmet, which all professional cyclists must wear.

Wouter Weylandt was the fourth cyclist to die during the Giro d'Italia race.

Wouter's girlfriend, An-Sophie, was expecting their first child at the time. Their daughter, Alizée, was born a few months later in September 2011.

Honoring Wouter

After Wouter's accident, the next day's race stage was changed to honor him. The teams rode together slowly, and all the cyclists wore black armbands. A special band played a song, and fans held up signs with Wouter's race number, 108.

Wouter's team, Leopard Trek, was allowed to cross the finish line first. His friend and training partner, Tyler Farrar, rode with them. Tyler Farrar then left the race. The entire Leopard Trek team also decided to leave the race the next day.

Wouter's race number, 108, has been retired from the Giro d'Italia. This means no other rider will use that number in the future.

Later that year, Tyler Farrar won a stage in the Tour de France. As he crossed the finish line, he made a "W" shape with his hands. This was another tribute to Wouter.

Before the start of the third stage of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, there was a short ceremony and a minute of silence to remember Wouter.

On May 9, 2013, two years after the accident, the winner of a Giro d'Italia stage, Mark Cavendish, held up Wouter's number 108 on the podium. This showed that Wouter was still remembered by the cycling world.

Major Achievements

Images for kids

• 

  Wouter Weylandt in Wetteren, Belgium, 2007

• 

  Iljo Keisse and Weylandt during the 2011 E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

See also

In Spanish: Wouter Weylandt para niños