The riders, organisers and fans at the start of Liege-Bastogne-Liege paid a moving tribute to Michele Scarponi before the start of the race.
Some of the riders wore black armbands as a sign of respect following the tragic death of the Italian rider on Saturday morning. Scarponi was hit by a vehicle after setting out for an early-morning ride just a few hours after returning home from the Tour of the Alps.
Riders in Belgium for Liege-Bastogne-Liege expressed their shock and grief after hearing the news on Saturday. Many knew Scarponi well because of his long career and his friendly nature.
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Scarponi’s sudden death brought home how much they risk their lives out on the road.
At the start on Sunday morning, race director Christian Prudhomme made a brief speech and then the riders and crowd gave a long, emotional round of applause to pay their final respect to Scarponi.
The Astana team did not attend the official team presentation on Saturday but they bravely lined up on the front of the peloton, some shedding a tear before starting the race. Other riders were also in tears before rolling out of Liege.
— Team Bahrain Merida (@Bahrain_Merida) April 23, 2017
— Liège-Bastogne-Liège (@LiegeBastogneL) April 23, 2017
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