LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Live video of the Wouter Weylandt crash aired Monday as Weylandt descended the Passo del Bocco. Now that video is at the center of an ordered inquest into Weylandt’s cause of death. Wouter Weylandt was being broadcasted live across European TV video channels as he descended through the Passo del Bocco pass. Weylandt was en route from the town of Reggio Emilia to Rapallo near Genoa.

It was a route that Wouter Weylandt knew very well.

Today marked the stage three route of the Giro d’Italia, a stage that we won last year. But while initial details about a foot pedal hitting a wall dominated news earlier, officials still do not have a cause of today’s crash.

Upon news of the crash, Giro d’Italia race director Angelo Zomegnan held a news conference in Rapallo. Wouter Weylandt’s partner Sophie is pregnant with the couple’s child. Zomegnan told news that confirmation of Wouter Weylandt’s death was delayed until Sophie could be informed first that the beloved Leopard Trek rider had died.

Zomegnan told news today “We didn’t want to announce the news of the death before the family informed his wife of what had happened, because she was driving home at the time and she would have found out by listening to the radio.”‘

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The video was being broadcast live on Italian TV and being rebroadcast across other channels when the crash happened. While Zomegnan confirmed the video did not show the point of impact, it did depict the location of the fall. That video footage along with witness testimony of the closest riders will now assist an inquest by Italian officials. Video footage appearing online was swiftly removed Monday, except from German and Australian websites.

The first person on scene, depicted in the footage, was race doctor Giovanni Tredici. Tredici would not confirm the injuries in today’s news conference. But he did confirm to news that immediate attempts at resuscitation lasted 45 minutes. Tredici told news that mobile resuscitation began roughly two minutes after the crash. Officials claim that Weylandt’s heart had “stopped beating” immediately following the crash.

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The footage may also answer questions for the future, namely how to airlift inquired riders in such circumstances. Officials confirmed to news that they attempted to airlift Weylandt to a local hospital but had difficulty locating a landing for their medical helicopter.

Officials told news that the biggest witness might be RadioShack rider Manuel Cardoso. While video footage shows a series of cars just feet away from Weylandt at the time of the crash, Cardoso was reportedly the closest.

Team press agent Philippe Maertens tells news that Weylandt was 50m from Cardoso when he crashed. Cardoso reportedly told Maertens that Weylandt had slowed back from a previous group. Weylandt reportedly looked behind at Cardoso’s group moments before his crash. “While looking behind he hit with his left pedal or left side of his handlebars a small wall and was catapulted to the other side of the road where he hit again something” Cardoso tells news.

Garmin-Cervélo team manager Bingen Fernandez told news that the descent was very difficult at that spot. Fernandez said however that the location of the crash was not a corner.

Cyclist David Millar who eventually won the stage told news today that “It was one of the million things that we have to go through. Our sport is very tragic at times, it has been throughout its history.”

An inquest has been schedule, Zomegnan remarked today. “Magistrates will work to establish the dynamics of the event, and this reconstruction will take place by talking to riders close who were close to Wouter at that moment”.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Monday’s Wouter Weylandt crash video could help aid new possible safety measures. Wouter Weylandt’s death today became the first to strike professional cycling since 2003. Wouter Weylandt’s crash video reportedly showed the cause of his tumble after hitting an abutting wall.

Race officials tell news that Wouter Weylandt’s left pedal had impacted a wall during the race route. Weylandt was on his descent of the Passo del Bocco during stage three of the Giro d’Italia today. While Wouter Weylandt had won stage three a year ago this month, Wouter’s pedal trouble caused him to fall from his bike, as broadcasted live on video in Europe Monday.

Local news on scene reports that Wouter Weylandt fell for about twenty meters, less than 25 km for the finish line.

Before today’s race, the last rider to die was Kazakhstan’s Andrei Kivilev in 2003. Since that crash, new rules about helmets have been implemented. Today, local telecast aired live video coverage of doctors on scene cutting off Weylandt’s helmet after the crash.

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Wouter Weylandt’s death is first to strike this race since 1986. Orfeo Ponsin died in 1952, Juan Manuel Santisteban in 1976 and Emilio Ravasio in 1986. The last death on the Tour de France was 1995’s Fabio Casartelli.

Maria Paola Vercesi, a spokeswoman for race organizer RCS Sport, confirmed Wouter Weylandt’s death roughly thirty minutes after the crash. Video of the crash was quickly removed from online by broadcasters. Official have yet to determine the cause of the injury.

Details of the crash are still being determined. “His heart has stopped beating,” announced RAI’s head of sport Auro Bulbarelli. Race doctor, Professor Giovanni Tredici, told the Gazzetta dello Sport: “Weylandt was the victim of a fall and we are still trying to reconstruct the dynamics of what happened.”

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Leopard Trek reacted to the news in a statement today “We lost a great teammate and a true friend today. Our thoughts are with Wouter’s family and friends.”

“We tried immediately but he was already unconscious, his condition was already compromised. We tried for 40 minutes to resuscitate him but there was nothing we could do.”

Tim Vanderjeugd, said: “I can confirm the death of Wouter Weylandt. He was taken to hospital but had already died at the scene.”

Leopard Trek’s general manager, Brian Nygaard, also issued a news statement. “Today, our team-mate and friend Wouter Weylandt passed away after a crash on the third stage of the Giro d’Italia.” He added “The team is left in a state of shock and sadness and we send all our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Wouter.” Nygaard also stated “This is a difficult day for cycling and for our team, and we should all seek support and strength in the people close to us.”

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Wouter Weylandt is dead following a Giro d’Italia crash today. Wouter Weylandt has died, confirms Giro d’Italia and Italian news moments ago. Weylandt’s death (video below) happened during stage three of the Giro d’Italia. Weylandt was descending the Passo del Bocco. Initial reports that Weylandt had suffered serious injuries were updated moments ago with news of Weylandt’s death.

Weylandt was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Leopard Trek. A year ago this month, he won 1st, Stage 3 of Giro d’Italia 2010. He later went on to win stage four. But for unexplained reasons, Weylandt’s descent of the Passo del Bocco prompted a fatal crash Monday. He initially went into cardiac trouble. Within thirty minutes he was air lifted to a local area hospital.

At roughly 8:00 am PST today, European news was reporting Wouter Weylandt was badly injured. Live TV broadest footage reportedly showed Weylandt on the ground bleeding profusely. Local news reports that Weylandt fell off his bike during the descent. Local telecast aired live coverage of doctors on scene cutting off Weylandt’s helmet (video located here). Initial unconfirmed reports claimed his injuries were head trauma. Within moments, European news reported his death.

“Our prayers and thoughts are all for Wouter Weylandt / Le nostre preghiere e il nostro pensiero sono tutti per Wouter Weylandt” said Giro d’Italia in a news statement moments ago.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Mazhar Majeed, Salman *, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif today learned their trial date in the cricketers’ alleged corruption case. On Thursday, *, Amir and Asif appeared before a Westminster Magistrates Court and learned they will head to trial on May 20. They were designated unconditional bail; Majeed is already out on bail.

*, 26, Asif, 28 and Amir, 18, will appear before judge Howard Riddle this May, months after their scandal was exposed by News of the World. Judge Riddle told the three “There is no doubt the allegation are very serious and I know you recognize that.”

The original scandal erupted after Bookie Mazhar Majeed (photo above) granted an interview to the News of the World. Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan told news shortly after release of the NOTW article that “[i]f the News of the World evidence is correct then I would banish them [*, Asif, and Amir] from cricket”. Since then, the International Cricket Council has banned the three players. The three players are appealing those suspensions in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

During his news interview, Majeed had said “I’ve been doing it [match-fixing] with them for about two-and-a-half years and we’ve made masses of money … I manage 10 of the players, I do all their affairs like contracts, sponsorship, marketing, everything really. The players would never tell anybody else.”

Click HERE for the scandal video.

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – On Thursday, Iowa High School wrestling history will be made when Megan Black and Cassy Herkelman take to the mat in separate matches. Black and Herkelman are becoming the first two female wrestlers, ever, in the Iowa’s state championship meet.

But another record could be set in the history books this month. While Michaela Hutchison is the first girl to win a state high-school wrestling championship award ever, Black and Herkelman are attempting to be the first to do so in the state of Iowa.

Hutchinson five years ago in Alaska became the first female high school student to win a state wrestling championship, competing against boys. But in Iowa, it’s never happened. In fact, since the state championship meet was launched in Iowa in 1926, no female has ever qualified to the tournament. This week Black and Herkelman changed that.

Now the two are trying to break another record, going for the state title.

The National Federation of State High School Associations estimates that over six thousand girls wrestled across the country this year. But until this month, Iowa had never had a girl qualify for its state wrestling tournament. This week it has two. Both will compete against male competitors.

The Summer Olympics has sanctioned female wrestling as an Olympic sport since 2004. Three states (Texas, California, and Hawaii) have reportedly sanctioned it on a high school level. But Iowa hasn’t done so for high school students.

When asked by news how they are preparing for the week, the two girls say they aren’t under any pressure. They just want to win, and have every intentions of doing so.

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