Leopard Trek have withdrawn from the Giro d'Italia one day after their rider Wouter Weylandt died in a crash on stage three.
Weylandt's team-mates withdraw after stage four tribute
Leopard Trek have withdrawn from the Giro d'Italia one day after their rider Wouter Weylandt died in a crash during stage three of the race.
The team initially continued their participation and rode in stage four, which was neutralised as a mark of respect for the Belgian.
The eight remaining Leopard riders, along with Weylandt's training partner and good friend Tyler Farrar of Garmin Cervelo, crossed the finish line side-by-side ahead of the peloton.
Now they have chosen to leave the event, however, with general manager Brian Nygaard saying the decision was taken by the riders.
"The decision needed to be taken by the riders, because they are the ones that participate in the race. We have always said that we would stand behind their choice," he said.
"We wish to thank the other teams, the race organisation RCS, the Italian authorities and all the fans on the road between Genova and Livorno on today's stage, as the peloton paid tribute to Wouter Weylandt."
Experienced German rider Fabian Wegmann explained that the team simply felt they could not continue to compete under the circumstances.
He said: "We have a lot of respect for the Giro d'Italia and for cycling, but we simply cannot continue racing given the circumstances. We are professional athletes, but we feel this is the right thing to do."
It had already been announced that Farrar would leave the race after the fourth stage on Tuesday.
