For every Swiss rider, the Tour de Suisse is just like the Tour de Romandie a highlight of the cycling year. Impatience and motivation are therefore great. This is also the case for Gino Mäder. But the Bahrain-Victoriou professional approached his fourth National Loop with mixed feelings.
This is explained by the fact that he was again hampered by health concerns. If last year it was a stomach problem that forced him to retire after four days on the Tour de Suisse, this spring it was the Covid that gave him a hard time.
After his excellent 5th place in Paris – Nice, Gino Mäder went to the Tour de Romandie at the end of April with a lot of confidence, in order to test his form for the Giro d’Italia. A Giro that he has carried in his heart since his stage victory at Ascoli Piceno in May 2021. But he did not compete in this Giro.
The fact that he could not compete with the best during the queen stage of the Tour de Romandie was perhaps a harbinger. The virus hit him hard. “I was happy not to have to train, there was no question of competing during this period”.
The general is not on the agenda
About a month has passed since. Gino Mäder has meanwhile digested his disappointment – the Giro d’Italia was a big goal for him this season. For the Tour de France, he is still on the pre-selection of Bahrain.
The Bernese does not know exactly his state of form. Sunday’s inaugural time trial in Einsiedeln did not provide much information. He lost 56 seconds there, in particular because he fell into an unfavorable weather window with gusts of wind.
Regarding his objectives for this Tour at home, Mäder is cautious. “The week is long and intense. If I do well, I will be happy”. The general classification is currently not a matter of concern for him. In the Bahrain-Victorious team, we are betting on Pello Bilbao.
High expectations
Gino Mäder mostly delivered the goods when no one was expecting him. His stage victory at the Giro was as surprising as his 5th place in the general classification of the Vuelta 2021 a few months later. And even when he had lost sight of his goal of finishing among the best in the Tour de Suisse two years ago, he signed two brilliant strokes during the final weekend with a 3rd place in the time trial uphill and victory in the queen stage of Andermatt.
Many see him as Switzerland’s first overall winner since Fabian Cancellara in 2009, but high expectations have held him back in the past. Asked about the topic of pressure, Mäder says: “You can have expectations, that also speaks for my past. I’m moving in a good, positive direction”.
The Bernese now wants to “take day by day, enjoy and ride aggressively. If possible, I want to win one”. The possibilities are not lacking for the powerful climber with the arrivals at altitude in Villars-sur-Ollon (Tuesday), Loèche-les-Bains (Wednesday) then during the queen stage towards La Punt (Thursday). The situation suits him: “It’s always nice when you can and not when you have to”.