A trio of cycling teams exited the cycling tournament Tour de Suisse on Saturday following the tragic death of Swiss rider Gino Mäder while competing on Thursday.
The 26-year-old had fallen and plunged into a ravine on stage five of the Tour de Suisse. He then succumbed to his injuries and passed away on Friday.
Shortly after his death, competing cyclists participated in a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) ride. It served as a shorter, neutralized version of stage six of the race and was held in honor of the late rider.
Teams withdraw before race ends
Though Mäder’s Bahrain Victorious team took part in the shortened stage six, they later announced they were pulling out of the race.
“Following the tragic loss of Gino Mäder, Team Bahrain Victorious has taken the decision to withdraw from Tour de Suisse,” the team wrote on their Twitter.
Other teams also followed suit.
Swiss outfit Tudor Pro Cycling said they decided to pull out following talks with both riders and staff.
“Under these difficult circumstances we feel it is the human way to respect the feelings of our riders and pay respect to Gino,” the team wrote on Twitter.
The Belgian Intermarche-Circus-Wanty took a similar move, also citing discussions with their riders and staff.
“Our priority is to respect our riders’ wellbeing,” they said.
The race set to see completion
Despite Mäder’s death and the teams’ subsequent withdrawal, the race is set to continue. Organizers made the announcement on Friday following stage six.
“After an emotional day and a very touching ride in memory of Gino Mäder, it was decided in consultation with the family of Gino Mäder that the Tour of Switzerland will continue,” the race director Olivier Senn said.
Saturday’s seventh stage sends cyclists on a 184-kilometer ride from Tubach to Weinfelden.
The competition then wraps on Sunday, with the eighth stage seeing a 26-kilometer time trial between St. Gallen and Abtwil.
Mäder’s death has invited criticism for the tour, especially since he wasn’t the only rider to fall at that particular stage of the final descent. US cyclist Magnus Sheffield of Team Ineos Grenadiers also fell, but the 21-year-old suffered only minor injuries.
World champion Remco Evenepoel criticized the design of the stage and questioned why it had to end with such a descent.
rmt/sms (AFP, Reuters)
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