A Tour de Suisse with a very strong emotional charge begins this Sunday, June 9, one year after the death of Gino Mäder. Several tributes will be paid to the late Swiss rider during this final meeting before the Tour de France, contested over eight stages. His name will be given at the highest point of the race. A decision taken in consultation with the family.
“Starting this year, the roof of the Tour will now be called the #rideforgino Mountain Grand Prix, where there is a special prize to be won for the best climber. Gino will thus remain forever linked to the Tour de Suisse”announced event director Olivier Senn.
Gino Mäder, very popular in the peloton, died on June 16 at the age of 26 following a violent exit from the road the day before, during the descent of the Albula pass. Found inert in a ravine and resuscitated on the spot, the Bahrain team climber was airlifted to Chur hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the next day. The tragedy shocked the cycling community and bib 44, which he wore during his accident, will no longer be awarded in the Tour de Suisse.
“Win a victory in his memory”
A cycling outing will also be organized this year on the day of his death, June 16, between Aigle and Villars, and special socks are available for sale, the profits from which will be entirely donated to Gino Mäder’s association. The runner was particularly committed to defending the environment.
“What we went through last year was very hard and coming back to the Tour de Suisse brings back lots of memoriesunderlines Czech Roman Kreuziger, sporting director of the Bahrain team and former winner of the Tour de Suisse in 2008. We want to keep the best, Gino’s passion, his dedication and his enthusiasm. Our goal is to do our best and hopefully get a victory in his memory. »
On a sporting level, the Tour de Suisse offers the possibility, just like the Critérium du Dauphiné, to make the final adjustments before the Tour de France (June 29 – July 21) and to arbitrate the final selection choices. Several candidates are applying for the general classification: the outgoing winner Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl – Trek), Adam Yates and Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), Egan Bernal and Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers), Lenny Martinez (Groupama – FDJ), Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) and Enric Mas (Movistar).
READ ALSO. Cycling. “Lucky to be alive”: fell with Gino Mäder, Magnus Sheffield comes out of silence
After opening with a short (4.7 km) and flat time on Sunday in Vaduz (Liechtenstein), the serious things will begin on Wednesday with four successive summit finishes, knowing that what was to be the queen stage on Friday was reduced to because of the snow. Everything could be decided during the last stage on Sunday in Villars-sur-Ollon, a 15 km hill test.
