Memorial inaugurated on Albula Pass two years after the tragic death of talented Swiss runner
The Tour de Suisse organization, together with riders and teams, held a touching ceremony a few days ago before the start of the fifth stage to inaugurate a new memorial dedicated to Gino Mäder , who tragically died two years ago during the same race.
The ceremony took place near the memorial near the Albula Pass, where Mäder had his fatal accident during the descent in the fifth stage of the 2023 edition. The rider was only 26 years old.
Born in Flawil, Switzerland, on January 4, 1997, Mäder showed himself to be a precocious talent, winning the Swiss junior time trial title in 2015 and several stages at the Tour du Pays Vaud. His promising career included a stage win at the Tour de l'Avenir and a fourth-place finish in the Under-23 road race at the 2018 World Championships. As a professional, he won stages at the Giro d'Italia and Tour de Suisse, as well as a brilliant fifth-place finish at the 2021 Vuelta a España.
The start took place from La Punt, the same place that hosted the arrival on the day of the tragic accident. The Tour de Suisse organization shared a touching message on social media:
'We still miss you so much, Gino. But now we have a place where we can come and remember you as an inspiration to us.'Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) dedicated his stage three victory to Mäder, pointing to the sky as he crossed the finish line.
During yesterday's stage, Mäder was again honored with a special #RideForGino intermediate sprint placed atop the first-category San Bernardino Pass.
Sprint Cycling Photo
