Professional cyclist Mäder dies after crashing at the Tour de Suisse

The Swiss professional cyclist Gino Mäder has succumbed to his injuries following his serious crash on the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse. This was announced by his team Bahrain-Victorious.

Crash on the descent from the Albula Pass

The 26-year-old fell on the descent from the Albula Pass to the finish in La Punt on Thursday, fell into a ravine and was subsequently resuscitated, according to the organisers.

"We are devastated by the loss of our exceptional rider, Gino Mäder. His talent, dedication and enthusiasm were an inspiration to us all," said team manager Milan Erzen. "He was not only an extremely talented rider, but also a great person off the bike." The team will ride in his honour.

Mäder's team announced its withdrawal from the preparatory race for the Tour de France. "We are all devastated. No-one is able to get on their bike," sports director Enrico Poitschke told Bild.

Stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse cancelled

The sixth stage was cancelled due to Mäder's death. The stage will not take place as planned, the Tour organisers announced. Instead, the riders will complete a memorial ride over the last 30 kilometres of the planned sixth stage in memory of Mäder. Previously, the start of the stage had initially been "postponed indefinitely".

The Swiss news agency sda previously reported that, in consultation with Mäder's Bahrain-Victorious team and his family, the Tour organisers had decided to continue the race in principle.

Sheffield also overthrown

The American Magnus Sheffield also crashed on the fifth section and was also taken to hospital. He suffered a concussion and bruising.

World champion Remco Evenepoel from Belgium was one of the riders who criticised the organisers for the route. It was not a clever idea to place the finish of such a stage after a descent, said the 23-year-old according to the Swiss newspaper "Blick". "But you obviously still need more spectacle. Something simply has to happen for people to react," said Evenepoel.

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