Professional Cycling For the Fans - R.i.p.

Joaquim Fernandes Agostinho - 42 when he died after colliding with a dog during the Tour of Algarve.

Jean Alavoine - 55 when he died while racing in Argenteuil.

Fabio Casartelli - 24 when he died descending the Col de Portet d'Aspet during the 1995 TDF.

Serse Coppi - Fausto's brother. Died at 28 while sprinting in the Giro del Piemont.

Alessandro Fantini - Died at 29 while racing in the Tour of Germany.

Isaac Gálvez López - 31 when he died during the Six Days of Ghent cycling event in Belgium after colliding with Dimitri De Fauw and crashing against the railing.

Knud Enemark Jensen - Died when racing in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Andrei Kivilev - 29 when he died during Paris Nice.

Georges Lemaire - Killed while falling during the Belgian club championship. He was 28.

Russell Mockridge - 30. Died after colliding with a bus during a race in Australia.

Jean-Pierre "Jempi" Monseré - 22 when hit by a car and killed during the Grote Jaarmarktprijs.

Saúl Morales - 27 when killed after being hit by a truck during the Tour of Argentina.

Stan Ockers - 36 when he died during a track race in Antwerp.

Nicole Reinhart - killed during a 42-mile circuit race held on a 3.5-mile course in Arlington, Massachusetts. She was 24.

José Samyn - Died while racing in Belgium. He was 23.

Manuel Sanroma - died in 1999 while racing in the Vilanova i Geltru.

Tom Simpson - 29 when he died during the TDF while climbing Mount Ventoux.

Valentín Uriona - 26 when he died after crashing during the Spanish Road Championship.

You died doing what you loved to do and what we love to watch. Wherever you are brothers, may the wind always be at your backs.

Come on guys. 36 views and no comments?

You'd rather bicker about Lance and Contador and endlessly discuss who's doping?

I don't know what to say - thanks for reminding me that I might die every time I go out for a ride? Sorry but your post is depressing. Just being honest.

Come on guys. 36 views and no comments?

You'd rather bicker about Lance and Contador and endlessly discuss who's doping?

Unfortunately, I think you're right.

There's no entertainment in remembering an honorable man. There's a lot of entertainment in tearing into someone, however.

I don't know what to say - thanks for reminding me that I might die every time I go out for a ride? Sorry but your post is depressing. Just being honest.

Just a memorial for those who died doing what we love to watch. It's easy to pretend that there is no dark side to this sport but the reality is that it's not all glitzy TDF and that people do suffer and die and are damaged for life. You can talk about Armstrong till there's nothing left to say and then you can either keep rehashing the same old crap or just maybe we can take a second and remember those who were not so lucky.

Perhaps my post would have been better left until after the exodus at the end of the month.

You'd rather bicker about Lance and Contador and endlessly discuss who's doping?
Demonstratively so.

Excellent post. I recognized a few. But many I did not. Where did you get the list of names from?

(Unfortunately, this year TdF has become consumed with the feud. I've gotten to the point that I don't even care who wins. I really hope someone comes out of nowhere to shock the world.)

Excellent post. I recognized a few. But many I did not. Where did you get the list of names from?

(Unfortunately, this year TdF has become consumed with the feud. I've gotten to the point that I don't even care who wins. I really hope someone comes out of nowhere to shock the world.)

+1 and thank you.

Laggard,

It's seriously tough to comment. Always a shame when some passes too young. I'm a bit more touched when it's someone I know (at least two I'd corresponded with here at BikeForums had their lives end tragically early while in the saddle, plus a couple more who passed from other causes). It's definitely sobering, in a way few other things are.

Meh. Never heard of any of them. But you do something dangerous, don't be surprised if it kills you.

Meh. Never heard of any of them. But you do something dangerous, don't be surprised if it kills you.

Talk about missing the point.

Laggard,

It's seriously tough to comment. Always a shame when some passes too young. I'm a bit more touched when it's someone I know (at least two I'd corresponded with here at BikeForums had their lives end tragically early while in the saddle, plus a couple more who passed from other causes). It's definitely sobering, in a way few other things are.

We've lost a few commuters here in the last year and it's always difficult because it could have been any of us.

I can actually remember being 7 or 8 and reading about Casartelli in a magazine very possibly my first cycling memory.

Makes me wonder how many could have been prevented by helmets and better doping controls.

R.I.P.

How is it that a couple of those guys were killed by cars *during* major races? Yikes.

Makes me wonder how many could have been prevented by helmets and better doping controls.

several, at least.

I don't get teary eyed over race car drivers who die either, it's part of the game. Face it, people would rather watch live humans race than think about dead ones. Live ones are just more interesting in the present but I appreciate where you're coming from.

This post makes me think about all of my close calls.

Thanks fo posting it tho.

Also, if I actually knew of any of them, I would have commented prolly.

Thanks again.

Add Marco Panatani.

We might as well add Lance, he will die one day in the far future (hopefully not tragically), but he cant be left off any list, he is juts that good.

Pantani did not die racing. Armstrong likely will not.

Pantani did not die racing. Armstrong likely will not.

Ah, gotcha, didnt realize its in racing only, ok scratch that.

Add Marco Panatani.

His list includes only riders that passed while racing.

Kivilev's accident was the impetus to require helmets on professionals. Saul Raisin is still around today due to that.

Kivilev's accident was the impetus to require helmets on professionals. Saul Raisin is still around today due to that.

Though if you go to the Advocacy forum there are a whole slew of people who don't believe helmets prevent any type of injury and that they may in fact contribute to more injuries than they prevent.

But that's a whole nother discussion.

Though if you go to the Advocacy forum there are a whole slew of people who don't believe helmets prevent any type of injury and that they may in fact contribute to more injuries than they prevent.

ha, I avoid that forum at all costs, but my still-in-one-piece skull will gladly argue from experience that anyone who thinks helmets don't prevent injuries is wrong.

Some others that I remember:

Allessio Galletti, 2005, heart attack, collapsed on a hill climb just like Tom Simpson with rumors of dopage.

Nicole Reinhart, 2000, crashed into a tree.

Makes me wonder how many could have been prevented by helmets and better doping controls.

2 come immediately to mind: Kiveliv, and Simpson.

Some others that I remember:

Allessio Galletti, 2005, heart attack, collapsed on a hill climb just like Tom Simpson with rumors of dopage.

Nicole Reinhart, 2000, crashed into a tree.

Missed Allessio. Mentioned Nicole.

I'm hoping someone could provide more info on how exactly José Samyn died.

When you consider the roads they ride, no helmets for many years, and no doping controls until recently, it's remarkable that Francisco Cepeda, Simpson and Casartelli are the only TDF riders to die in the race.

When you consider the roads they ride, no helmets for many years, and no doping controls until recently, it's remarkable that Francisco Cepeda, Simpson and Casartelli are the only TDF riders to die in the race.

Some would argue that the drugs are what keep them alive. I wonder why more riders like T. Hamilton don't have AIDS or hepatitis from using others blood.