Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt died following a crash during yesterday’s third stage of the Giro d'Italia, which was won by Spain's Angel Vicioso.

The podium celebration was cancelled in the wake of the news of Weylandt's death. The 26-year-old Leopard-Trek rider fell on a descent about 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) from the finish. He lay motionless and bleeding heavily on the roadside before paramedics cut off his helmet and tried to resuscitate him.

A spokeswoman for RCS Sport that organises the Giro later confirmed to The Associated Press that Weylandt had died.

“We arrived immediately as we were behind his group," Giro doctor Giovanni Tredici said. "He was unconscious with a fracture of the skull base and facial damage. After 40 minutes of cardiac massage we had to suspend the resuscitation because there was nothing more we could do.""We lost a great team mate and a true friend today," Leopard-Trek wrote on Twitter. "Our thoughts are with Wouter's family and friends."

The Leopard-Trek rider's body was covered by a sheet and taken by ambulance about an hour after the accident.

The stage was a 173-kilometre (107-mile) ride from Reggio Emilia to Rapallo. Vicioso, of the Androni Giocattoli team, outsprinted David Millar to claim victory in 3 hours, 57 minutes, 38 seconds.

Millar took the pink jersey from fellow Briton Mark Cavendish, who later tweeted: "Things like this shouldn't happen. Absolutely sick to the stomach. My thoughts are with his family. RIP Wouter Weylandt."

Movistar's Pablo Lastras Garcia was third in yesterday's stage, with fellow Spaniard Daniel Fernandez fourth and Christophe Le Mevel fifth in the same time.