Giro d’Italia pays homage to Hayden, Viellehner, Manchester victims

Rome, May 23 (IANS) Cyclists taking part in Giro d'Italia observed a moment of silence on Tuesday in homage to American motorcyclist Nicky Hayden, Germany's triathlete Julia Viellehner and the 22 people who were killed in the Manchester attack in Britain.

Before the beginning of the 222 kilometre-long (137.94 miles) 16th stage from Rovetta to Bormio, the 174 participating racers stood for a moment in silence to pay their respects to Hayden, Viellehner and the victims of the Manchester attack, reports Efe.

Hayden died on Monday at a clinic in northern Italy from injuries sustained when he was run over by a car in the coastal city of Rimini. The 2006 MotoGP champion was in an intensive care unit at Maurizio Bufalini hospital with multiple traumas for five days before he died.

Viellehner also died after a similar accident when a truck hit her on May 15 while she was training in the northern Italian city of Forli, and she passed away on Monday in the same hospital.

Later on the same day, an explosive device was detonated by a suspected suicide bomber at a pop concert in Manchester, killing at least 22 persons, many of them children, and injuring more than 59.