Gino Mader, a Swiss rider, passed away after collapsing into a ravine on his way to the finish line in Thursday’s stage five of the Tour de Suisse, his team Bahrain Victorious said on Friday.
“Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30 am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team,” the team said.
Mader, 26, crashed on the descent near La Punt and fell into a ravine, where the race doctor found him unresponsive and resuscitated him before airlifting him to hospital. “In a statement, team managing director Milan Erzen said: “We are devastated by the loss of our exceptional cyclist, Gino Mader. His talent, dedication, and enthusiasm were an inspiration to us all.”
“Not only was he an extremely talented cyclist, but a great person off the bike. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”
Erzen stated that the team would continue racing in Mader’s honour.
Mader won a stage of the Giro d’Italia in 2021 after joining the Bahrain Victorious team. Furthermore, he won the young rider classification in the 2021 Vuelta a Espana.