Cycling: Riders mourn after Kivilev dies following crash

The Paris to Nice race was cast into mourning here yesterday following the death of the 29-year-old Kazakhstan rider Andrei Kivilev from head injuries caused by a crash late in the previous stage on Tuesday.

Team officials from Kivilev's Cofidis were close to tears at the stage start at Le-Puy-en-Velay as they revealed that doctors had been unable to save the life of the rider.

"It is a enormous catastrophe," said the team directeur, Francis Van Londersele. 'They attempted to ease the pressure in Andrei's brain, but the bleeding was too severe."

Kivilev's death followed a simple collision when two riders touched wheels in the peloton, some 40 kilometres from the stage finish at St Etienne – Kivilev's adopted home in western Europe and where his wife Natalia and six-month old-son Léonard were living. Kivilev, who was not wearing a helmet, fell heavily, landing in the middle of the road, before being taken to hospital by helicopter.

Joaquin Rodriguez, of Spain, said: "He fell flat on his face, but it didn't seem serious at first, just a normal accident".

According to Van Londersele, the Kazakh, fourth in the 2001 Tour de France, had been planning to attack on the last ascent of the day, the Col de Chabouret. "This year he had been more motivated than ever before because of the birth of his first child," he said.

Kivilev is the 20th rider to die while taking part in a professional bike race since 1935.

"I rode past him just afterwards," Bradley Wiggins, one of two British pros present on Paris-Nice, said. "There was blood pouring from his head and he wasn't moving."

Television images of Kivilev's inert figure lying half-hunched on the ground were uncannily similar to those of Fabio Casar-telli, the Italian rider killed in the 1995 Tour de France when he slewed into a concrete post. Just as when Casartelli died eight years ago, the riders yesterday slow-pedalled the 180km to the finish as a mark of respect before allowing Kivilev's seven team-mates to cross the line first. Protocol ceremonies were cancelled.

Cofidis intend to continue until the race finishes Sunday. "It is what Andrei would have wished," Van Londersele said.

Alasdair Fotheringham writes for Cycling Weekly