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20 septembre 2000
Décès de Nicole Reinhart
Au sein del'équipe de cyclisme Saturn, Nicole Reinhart était la coéquipière des Lyne Bessette et Clara Hughes, deux membres de l'équipe olympique canadienne. Comment ces dernières réagiront-elles à Sydney à la suite du décès de leur coéquipière et amie de 24 ans ?
Nicole Reinhart est décédée dimanche, victime de multiples traumatismes craniens, résultat d'une chute dans la dernière descente de la course et d'une collision contre un arbre.
La cycliste tentait de remporter cette quatrième étape du BMC Tour d'Arlington, en banlieue de Boston. Si elle remportait la course, elle aurait mérité un boni de 250 000 $ comme gagnante des quatre étapes de série commanditée par une compagnie informatique.
Plus tôt dans l'épreuve, Reinhart avait été prise dans une chute de plusieurs cyclistes. En compagnie de ses coéquipières, elle était revenue au plus fort de la course et se trouvait à quelques secondes du peloton des meneuses lorsque la tragédie est survenue.
Par la suite, l'épreuve masculine a été annulée, les coureurs ayant refusé de prendre le départ par respect pour Reinhart.
20 septembre 2000
Non, ça va pas bien !
Pierre Foglia
(...)
Ça va pas bien et on n'a pas encore parlé du vrai malheur qui a frappé nos cyclistes, en particulier Lyne Bessette et Clara Hughes. L'autre matin, Clara pitonnait sur Internet pour aller voir le résultat du critérium de Boston et Lyne qui partage sa chambre l'entend dire tout d'un coup : «Oh non ! Oh non ! Non.» Clara est en pleurs, Lyne qui se demande bien ce qui arrive, va lire la nouvelle à son tour : Nicole Reinhart, leur jeune coéquipière, 23 ans, de l'équipe Saturn s'est tuée dans le dernier tour du critérium de Boston. Atterrées, Lyne et Clara ont beaucoup pleuré depuis deux jours. Cette soudaine irruption de la mort a relégué leur rêve olympique au second plan, dans quel état les laissera leur immense chagrin ? Je mesure toute la vanité de la question en la posant, mettons que personne ne les blâmerait de n'avoir ni les jambes ni le coeur à pédaler mardi prochain.
Mais connaissant un peu Lyne, ça pourrait être aussi tout le contraire. Je suis sûr qu'elle pense en ce moment à l'extraordinaire chevauchée de Lance Armstrong il y a quelques années dans le Tour de France, son arrivée en solitaire, un doigt tendu vers le ciel, dédiant sa victoire à son coéquipier Fablo Casartelli qui s'était tué l'avant-veille sur la route du Tour.
21 septembre 2000
Bessette et Hughes affligées
L'équipe canadienne de cyclisme a annulé la conférence de presse qu'elle devait donner hier en Australie. Les cyclistes Lyne Bessette et Clara Hughes sont trop affligées, dit-on, par la mort tragique de leur coéquipière Nicole Reinhart au sein de l'équipe américaine Saturn.
Lisez également
Bessette durement éprouvée, Martin Smith, Le Journal de Montréal, 21 septembre 2000
Nicole Reinhart killed in Arlington
By John Alsedek, cyclingnews.com correspondent
Having won the three previous events of the four-race BMC Software Grand Prix Series, Gord Fraser and Nicole Reinhart were poised to win a quarter-million dollars each, provided they emerged victorious in today's BMC Tour of Boston. Not surprisingly, given what was at stake, there were rumblings of teams being bought to help Fraser and Reinhart, of the race organizers changing the course in an effort to hinder them, and every other conceivable charge of collusion and conspiracy.
It took just a moment for all those murmerings to be rendered utterly insignificant as at 1:27 pm EST, Saturn rider Nicole Reinhart was pronounced dead at an area hospital as a result of multiple head trauma suffered in a crash near the finish. The BMC Tour of Boston, held in the suburb of Arlington, had proven to be a difficult race for Reinhart from the start - though not because of the climbing, as would have been expected, given her reputation as a sprint specialist.
Instead, she was involved in a crash during the second of twelve laps; Reinhart was unhurt, but badly shaken and over 90 seconds down on the field, which was being led by the AutoTrader.com squad. Still, Team Saturn kept its collective cool and, while Leigh Hobson (Charles Schwab) and Sue Palmer-Komar (Jane Cosmetics) were battling it out for the Queen of the Mountain prize, the entire team dropped back to bring Reinhart back to the rapidly-dwindling peloton. At that they succeeded during the seventh lap, at which point they looked to have things well in hand, covering attacks by Hobson, Palmer-Komar, and a solo move by Pam Schuster that reached a maximum lead of 20 seconds before she was reeled back in.
Going up the climb on the final lap, Reinhart was courageously hanging tough with the remaining fifteen riders in the main bunch...and then it happened: as the riders made the final twisting descent from the Park Avenue climb, there was an accident as they were setting up for the penultimate turn, and Reinhart struck a tree. As Tina Mayolo (AutoTrader.com) took the sprint win from Laura Van Gilder (Charles Schwab) and Caren Spore (Jane Cosmetics), Reinhart was receiving emergency care. As the men's race continued to be delayed, rumors of Reinhart's death began to circulate until, at 2:00 pm, the horrible truth was revealed to a suddenly dumbstruck crowd. People who hadn't even known of Nicole Reinhart's existence before today were left in tears, while her fellow racers consoled one another in a display of unity that would have been greatly welcomed under other circumstances. The men's race was cancelled, while the riders did a ceremonial lap for their fallen comrade.
BMC Software will be taking the $250,000 bonus money from the BMC Grand Prix which Nicole, by virtue of having won the three previous BMC Grand Prix races, was in line to win. They will work with USA Cycling and the Reinhart family to create a foundation in memory of Nicole.
Lisez l'édition spéciale de CyclingNews du 18 septembre.
The Tragic Loss of a True Champion
Tragic Crash Claims Nicole Reinhart
Birth Date : 6/3/76
Home : Mertztown, PA
Originally From: Macungie, PA
Height : 5'5" Weight: 125 lb.
Began Racing : 1989
Began Racing Full Time : 1994
Strengths : Sprinting, points race
Saturn Team Member Since : 1999
Nicole Reinhart, 23, returns to the ranks of the Saturn Team in 2000, and brings with her lots of talent and youthful determination. Reinhart, a natural sprinter, grew up near Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, where she got into a cycling development program after she quit gymnastics. Nicole's professional aspirations led her to her current spot on Team Saturn where she hopes to hone her skills and work toward being an Olympic and World Championship medallist.
Nicole Reinhart loves to race during the cycling season, but looks forward to heading home to her family and friends. She loves to spend time with them and relax during the off-season. Her hobbies include hiking, running and cooking. One day, she hopes to have a family of her own.
By Bryan Jew
VeloNews Senior Writer
The U.S. cycling community lost one of its brightest young stars on Sunday, when Saturn’s Nicole Reinhart was pronounced dead following a crash at the BMC Software Grand Prix Tour of Arlington in Arlington, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.
Reinhart was attempting to complete a four-race sweep of the BMC Grand Prix and earn the $250,000 prize that was being offered to any rider, man or woman, who could complete that feat. But a day that began with nervousness and anticipation ended in tragedy, as the 24-year-old crashed on a descent on the final lap of the race while in the lead group.
According to other riders, Reinhart hit a pothole in the road and after trying to right herself, struck a tree head on and then landed head-first on the curb. Medical personnel could not resuscitate her at the scene and she was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:27 p.m. local time.
Riders, team personnel and fans were all stunned by the death of the popular, always-smiling-but-fiercely-competitive Pennsylvania native.
Following the announcement, the men’s race -- in which Mercury’s Gord Fraser was going to take his own shot at winning the $250,000 prize -- was cancelled.
September 17, 2000
A shocking tragedy occurred at the Tour of Arlington, the final event in the BMC Software Grand Prix, a few hours ago. Nicole Reinhart, the Saturn rider who was leading the women's series, died after crashing and striking a tree on the last lap of the race. Reinhart, along with Mercury's Gord Fraser, was eligible to win the $250,000 series prize for winning all four events, if she had won the Tour of Arlington. After crashing earlier in the race, her team brought her back to the front of the race, and it was on a descent that she lost control and crashed. We have no other details. The organizers cancelled the men's race after learning of Reinhart's death.
Our sympathies, along with the rest of cycling community, go out to Reinhart's family and team mates.
Arlington, MA - It is with the deepest sorrow that we report the loss of Saturn Cycling Team member and friend Nicole Reinhart.
Reinhart, 24 of Mertztown, PA, died today at a local hospital after crashing on the final decent of the BMC Software Tour of Arlington bicycle race, outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
Nicoleís parents and other family members had flown in to see her race today, where she was a favorite to win the finale of the Saturn US Pro Cycling Tour and the fourth in a series of races sponsored by BMC software. After winning three previous BMC sponsored events, Reinhart was poised to win the $250,000 prize that was being offered to any rider who could a attempting to complete a four-race sweep of the BMC Grand Prix.
Reinhart grew up near Trexlertown, PA, where she got into a cycling development program after she quit gymnastics. She quickly became a promising track cyclist and, over the past two years, blossomed into one of the nations best road sprinters. Nicole was instrumental in helping the Womenís Saturn Cycling Team attain a number one world ranking at the end of the 1999 season.
Nicole Reinhart loved to compete during the cycling season, but always looked forward to heading home to her family and friends. Her talent and youthful enthusiasm, as well as her presence in the peloton, will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
A release will follow with further information on correspondence arrangements.
Note : BMC Software has announced that they will work with Reinhart's family to set up a foundation in her name, using the $250,000 series prize that she was in line to win.
page mise à jour le 21 septembre 2000 par SVP
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