Matt Wittig, a 20-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and rider with the US amateur ISCorp team, has died in hospital after crashing during a Wisconsin Cup criterium race in Muskego County Park on Saturday May 6.
According to event organizer Hans Higdon, quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wittig was attacking when his right foot slipped out of the pedal, his right knee hit the handle bars and he was flung over the bars on to the pavement. "It was basically a freak accident," said Higdon, who was 10 to 15 feet behind Wittig in the Cat 3 race at the time.
Paramedics were called to the park and Wittig was taken to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa, where doctors operated in an attempt to safe his life. However, it was determined that Wittig had suffered severe brain damage and he was pronounced brain dead on Sunday.
Cyclingnews understands that Wittig's parents planned to have his life support turned off so that his organs could be donated in accordance with his wishes, but at press time we were unable to ascertain if he had yet passed on.
Wittig was a popular member of the University of Wisconsin Cycling Club, for which he performed the role of road season co-ordinator. Even before the news broke that Wittig would not recover, club president Steve Knurr described Wittig as "a very, very important part of the team and the UW cycling program. He's genuinely good and one of the most dedicated and honest people that we've had in our program."
It is anticipated that the wake will be at the Schmidt and Bartlett Funeral Home in Mequon on Thursday evening and the service on Friday morning. Everyone at Cyclingnews extends our deepest condolences to Matt's family and friends.
