Belgian cyclist tumbles to death in race

MILAN -- Hurtling down an Italian mountain pass at a speed that only a car would normally reach, Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt lost control of his bike for just a split second. In a sport in which the smallest mistake can have catastrophic consequences, it proved lethal.

Weylandt, 26, tumbled to his death Monday in a downhill crash during the third stage of the Giro d'Italia, with the riders going 40 mph to 50 mph at the time. It was the first fatality in the Italian race in 25 years and the first at one of the sport's showcase tours in 16 years.

It was one of the most high-profile deaths at an international sports event since Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili's fatal crash in training on the eve of last year's Vancouver Olympics.

Medics who were following the cyclists in cars rushed to the scene. "We arrived immediately as we were behind his group," Giro doctor Giovanni Tredici said. "He was unconscious with a fracture of the skull base and facial damage. After 40 minutes of cardiac massage, we had to suspend the resuscitation because there was nothing more we could do."

Weylandt's father and the cyclist's pregnant girlfriend were en route to Italy and were to be met at an airport in Milan. -- AP