R.I.P. - Xavier Tondo

Xavier Tondo of the Movistar team was killed this morning in a freak accident at home in Granada while preparing for a training ride with his teammate Beñat Inxtausti. According to reports from the Spanish press, the garage door fell on him as he was leaving his home. A completely bizarre and tragic accident.

Tondo was a "late bloomer" who just recently began to make his name known at the highest levels of the sport. He turned professional in 2003 with the Paternina team but came into form and into the public eye during a breakout season in 2010 with the Cervelo TestTeam. He began to develop into a general classifications-type rider, coming in 6th at last year's Vuelta a España. He was then recruited by the Movistar team this year to be their team leader and won the Vuelta and Castilla y Leon this year.

One of this legacies is his anti-doping stance. He was widely praised for playing an important role in uncovering a doping ring in Girona. He did not want any publicity for his role and simply felt that he was doing what any good person should do.

Another loss for the cycling world.