Tragic death of Gino Mäder overshadows Tour de Suisse 2023

Fatal accidents in road cycling have become an unfortunate conscience. At irregular intervals, cyclists leave their lives on the road, because road cyclists are quite defenseless against acting forces. On the other hand, on downhill slopes, bicycle racers engage in insane races at speeds of up to 100 km/h, which are dangerous even for motorcyclists wearing protective gear and automobile drivers.

Such a dangerous descent awaited the racers this Thursday. At the end of the stage, it led from the Albula Pass down to La Punt in the Upper Engadine. According to current information, Gino left the road and fell down an embankment. Whether and to what extent Magnus Sheffield, who also suffered a fall and had to go to hospital with a concussion and bruises, was involved in the accident is the subject of ongoing investigations by the police and the public prosecutor's office. After the race, stage winner Remco Evenepoel was very critical of the descent at the end of the stage: "A mountain finish would have been possible without any problems. It was not a good decision to let us go down this dangerous descent," the 23-year-old wrote on Instagram. At the time of his statement, Gino was still in hospital.

The first to arrive at the scene of the accident was Tour doctor Roland Kretsch. As he told Blick, Gino Mäder had never been conscious. He found Gino Mäder without a pulse and resuscitated him for 25 minutes until his pulse started beating again. He was then flown by Rega to the hospital in Chur and taken to the intensive care unit. Unfortunately, he died a short time later in hospital and succumbed to the injuries he had sustained in the fall.

As a result of the tragedy, the originally planned race was suspended the following day. The last kilometers before the finish in Oberwil-Lieli will be held as a mourning ride. In the process, three teams also decided to leave the Tour de Suisse immediately. On the one hand, there is Team Bahrain Victorious, for which Gino Mäder rode. Among other things, the team wrote in response to Gino's death, "Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino's family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time." In addition to Maeder's Bahrain Victorious racing team, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty of Belgium and Swiss cycling legend Fabian Cancellara's Tudor Pro Cycling team are also pulling out.

A dark shadow has loomed over the Tour de Suisse and Swiss cycling that will tarnish and change the memory of the event and its image, but also of the national sport. Even if the teams and riders, as well as the spectators, return to normal, a dark shadow will remain. One must hope that Gino's death was not in vain and that at least lessons will be learned from this tragic event when it comes to the route planning of a cycling race and risks for riders in road cycling in general.