Tour de Suisse continues despite death

At the end of an “emotional day and a very touching commemorative trip”, it was decided in consultation with the family that the tour would continue, according to a statement. The women’s tour will also continue. Mäder’s team Bahrain-Victorious will drop out of the race as announced.

On Thursday, the 26-year-old Mäder fell into a ravine at high speed on the last kilometers of the fifth stage on the descent from the Albula Pass to the destination of La Punt and had to be resuscitated. A day later, the seriously injured Swiss died in hospital. The sixth stage that was actually planned was cancelled, instead the pros remembered their colleagues on a commemorative ride.

“Today was the worst day of my life. But tomorrow is a new day and we have to take care of that as an organization,” explained tour director Olivier Senn. The decision to continue was also made after consultation with the drivers and the teams of the tour.

Before the final act of the tour on Sunday between St. Gallen and Abtwil, the riders will tackle the 183.5 kilometer seventh stage between Tübach and Weinfelden on Saturday. The time measurement for the overall standings takes place on the penultimate day of racing 18.8 kilometers before the finish. The stage win will be decided on the home stretch in Weinfelden.

East Tyrolean Felix Gall, second overall, had previously called for the tour to be completely abandoned. “It’s a huge tragedy, an incredibly sad day. It took us all a lot. I hope it gets canceled, anything else would be inappropriate,” said the 25-year-old. Gall is eight seconds behind Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose in the overall standings.

“We are devastated by the loss of our exceptional driver, Gino Mäder. His talent, dedication and enthusiasm have been an inspiration to all of us,” said team manager Milan Erzen in a statement on Friday. Before the start of the 6th stage in Chur, the members hugged and mourned, a little later the team announced that Mäder had succumbed to his injuries. The two Austrians Rainer Kepplinger and Hermann Pernsteiner, who also drive for Bahrain, are not there in Switzerland.

The sixth stage planned for Friday was cancelled, instead the field completed a commemorative ride over the last 30 kilometers of the planned section. Professional cyclists from different teams hugged each other and comforted each other. “We ride for you, Gino” was written on a large billboard above the finish line. The organizers of the tour, in consultation with Mäder’s team and his family, have decided to continue the race for the time being. On Friday evening we will discuss how things will continue from Saturday.

Before the death was announced, there was still hope. Roland Kretsch, the doctor at the scene of the accident, told the daily newspaper “Blick” that the resuscitation went quickly and well. The girl, lying motionless in a stream, was resuscitated, stabilized and then flown to the hospital. The athlete was unconscious the whole time.

During the preparation race for the Tour de France, the American Magnus Sheffield also fell on Thursday and was also taken to the hospital. He suffered a concussion and bruises. The two accidents occurred from the Albula Pass on the rapid descent at around 100 km/h to the destination of La Punt, at exactly the same point at the exit of a left-hand bend. The two drivers then fell down a slope. The police have started the investigation and have called witnesses. According to initial investigations, it is assumed that the falls occurred independently of each other.

World Champion Remco Evenepoel was among the drivers who criticized the organizers for the route. It wasn’t a smart idea to place the finish of such a stage after a descent, the Belgian said according to “Blick”. “But you obviously still need more spectacle. Something just has to happen for you to react,” said Evenepoel before the sad news.

Mäder was considered a climbing specialist. His greatest successes included stage victories in the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de Suisse 2021. On Thursday, Mäder was no longer concerned with anything, neither in the daily nor in the overall ranking.