tour de france rider dies

Carol Vorderman 4pm - 7pm

Now Discussing

Carol Vorderman is Leading Britain's Conversation

Use the Global Player app to listen to live radio for LBC & LBC News

Cyclist dies after falling into a ravine in Tour de France warm-up race, as tributes pour in

16 June 2023, 12:23 | Updated: 16 June 2023, 12:52

By Kit Heren

A professional cyclist has died after plunging into a ravine during a warm-up event for the prestigious race.

Listen to this article

Swiss rider Gino Mäder, 26, died after the fall during stage five of the Tour de Suisse on Thursday. The Tour de Suisse is widely considered a warm-up event for the Tour de France.

Mr Mäder was flown to hospital after the horrifying crash.

His team Bahrain Victorious confirmed on Friday that he had died from his injuries.

A team statement said: "It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we have to announce the passing of Gino Mäder.

Listen and subscribe to Unprecedented: Inside Downing Street on Global Player

On Friday 16th June, following a very serious crash during stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his battle to recover from the severe injuries he sustained.

"Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

"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 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team."

Read more: French police hunt Tour de France spectator who caused major crash with sign

Read more: Police arrest woman after spectator caused major Tour de France crash with sign

Team managing director Milan Erzen said: "Not only was he an extremely talented cyclist, but a great person off the bike.

"Bahrain Victorious will race in his honour, keeping his memory on every road we race. We are determined to show the spirit and passion Gino displayed, and he will always remain an integral part of our team."

Mr Mäder became a professional road cyclust in 2019, joining Bahrain Victorious two years later. He was previously a road cyclist.

He had won stage six of the Giro d'Italia and finished top of the young rider classification at the Vuelta a Espana.

American rider Magnus Sheffield also needed treatment after going off the side off the road during the Tour de Suisse, though he was less seriously hurt.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) paid tribute to Mr Mader.

They said: "The UCI is devastated to learn of the death of professional cyclist, Gino Mäder."Our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone connected with Gino who was a rising star within the professional ranks of cycling."

The Tour de Suisse added: "We are heartbroken! Gino you've been an excellent rider but even more a wonderful person!

"Always smiling and making people happy around you! Rest in peace! Our thoughts are with Gino's family!"

Mr Mader's fellow cyclists joined in the tributes.

Geraint Thomas wrote on Twitter: "I can't believe what I'm reading. Such a sad sad day. Thoughts with everyone who knew and loved Gino."

Former world champion Alejandro Valverde wrote: "There are no words. Terrible news. My support and love to his colleagues in @BHRVictorious as well as family and friends."

Race organisers said a doctor was at the scene of the crash within two minutes of it happening. It occurred with 14 kilometres of the 211km stage from Fiesch to La Punt remaining.

After the incident there was immediately criticism of a route that ended with a fast technical descent off the mountain to the finish line.

Former professional Adam Hansen, now president of the cyclists' union the CPA, wrote on Twitter on Thursday night that such finishes were a "concern for riders" and said he has been working on a presentation to put to governing body the UCI and race organisers to better ensure rider safety.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Easter weekend washout to end with more rain with drivers warned of travel chaos as they head home after bank holiday

Israel's pm benjamin netanyahu to be fully sedated as he undergoes surgery for a hernia, remains belonging to french boy émile soleil who vanished eight months ago found in the alps, ‘i’m doing my best’: king charles speaks to well-wishers on surprise windsor walkabout after easter sunday service, exact date snow bomb to hit uk in april before temperatures soar in spring sunshine, shocking moment met police officer says ‘swastikas need to be looked at in context’ at pro-palestine march in london, smiling king charles in good spirits as he makes first major public appearance since cancer diagnosis, trump accuses biden of ‘assaulting christianity’ for marking annual transgender event on easter sunday, princess kate’s emotional cancer reveal ‘was inspired by major queen elizabeth speech’, chemical attacker abdul ezedi buried under a ‘false name’ after charity raised £6,000 for his funeral, king charles set for first public appearance since cancer diagnosis as royals attend easter church service, 'force of nature': tributes paid to gen v star chance perdomo, 27, after brit actor died in bike crash, england fans issued new terror threat warning ahead of euros in germany after moscow isis attack, sunak in danger of losing seat according to damning new mrp poll which predicts fewer than 100 tory mps, oxford rowers blame e. coli outbreak after being beaten by cambridge in boat race again, dramatic buckingham palace electric rickshaw explosion prompts police investigation, latest news.

See more Latest News

Man arrested for terrorism-related offences at Pro-Palestine march in central London at which Corbyn spoke

Pictured: beckenham junction knife attack suspect rakeem thomas, 29, remanded in custody, northern ireland's deputy fm ‘shocked and devastated’ after jeffrey donaldson charged over ‘historic sex offences’, inside horrifying squalor 10-month-old finley boden was forced to live in by drug addict parents before his murder, labour is right to reclaim the union jack - here's why, ‘it feels like 1939’: europe is not ready for looming war with putin, poland's pm warns, murder suspect ‘beaten to death in street by mob of protestors’ after girl, 8, killed in mexico, masked man who ‘threatened to blow himself up’ arrested after four people taken hostage in dutch bar, starmer faces backlash from labour mps over ‘dominant’ use of union flag in electoral campaign, several injured after shell explodes near un observers in southern lebanon near israel border, the news explained.

See more The News Explained

Rishi Sunak facts: Height, wife, children and policies revealed

Arctic blast sets off government's cold weather payment - but are you eligible for the £25 off energy bills, armistice day: what is it about and when will the two-minute silence be held.

See more Royals

King Charles ‘turning the dial’ towards resuming royal duties as he's set for first public appearance amid cancer battle

King charles stresses ‘importance of friendship in times of need’ in easter message as royals face double cancer battle, 'the crown enhanced the monarchy’s image’: sir jonathan pryce dismisses show's role in kate conspiracy theories, highlights & opinion.

See more Highlights & Opinion

Princess Kate: Now close the door, draw the curtains and focus on you!

Generation sicknote: if gen z are struggling to work then that’s a reflection of the lack of support available to them, sunak is blaming the fallout of his political losses on protests - and cutting off the lifeblood of our democracy, be careful what you wish for is a phrase coined for humza yousaf, small businesses shouldn't have to bear the brunt if royal mail axes saturday post, rishi sunak's rwanda woes are far from over as he faces lords challenge and tory critics circle, lbc caller tells shelagh fogarty that the channel islands are the answer to 'illegal immigration', 'rishi sunak chooses to do the self-interested party politics': shelagh fogarty reflects on tories' migration policies, met police chief is right to put the boot into the premier league, writes henry riley, red sea clashes with the houthis must not be just a fight for freedom of navigation - but for freedom from iran’s hostile actions too, more topics.

See more More Topics

War in Ukraine

Cost of living crisis, immigration, crime & police.

Swiss Cyclist Gino Mäder Dies After Falling Down a Ravine in the Tour De Suisse

Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder has died one day after crashing and falling down a ravine during a descent at the Tour de Suisse

Massimo Paolone

Gino Mader waits for the start of the 7th stage of the Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy cycling race, in Notaresco, Italy, on May 14, 2021. Swiss cyclist Gino Mader has died Friday, June 16, 2023 one day after suffering injuries when he crashed off the road down a ravine during a descent at the Tour de Suisse. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder died Friday, one day after crashing and falling down a ravine during a descent at the Tour de Suisse.

The 26-year-old Mäder crashed after a left-hand turn on a fast downhill road approaching the end of the mountainous fifth stage into La Punt. His fall of about 30 meters was stopped by a stream.

“Gino lost his battle to recover from the severe injuries he sustained,” his Bahrain-Victorious team said in a statement. “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 a.m. we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team."

Medical staff who reached Mäder found him motionless in the water, race organizers said Thursday. CPR was performed on him before he was airlifted to the hospital.

“Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Bahrain-Victorious said.

Police in the Swiss canton of Graubünden said a joint investigation with prosecutors wanted to hear from witnesses who might have seen and filmed the incident.

Photos You Should See

The Tour de Suisse is a preparation race for next month's Tour de France.

Mäder's death was announced about 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the sixth stage in the eight-day race. The start was delayed and riders gathered in a silent tribute before the stage was canceled.

The peloton rode together in tribute to Mäder for the final 30 kilometers (18 miles) of Friday's scheduled route. The race should resume Saturday.

“Devastated by the news," said world champion Remco Evenepoel, who is in fourth place in the race standings. "My heart and strength is with Gino’s family, friends, teammates.”

Evenepoel earlier criticized Thursday's stage after finishing the day in 10th place.

“While a summit finish would have been perfectly possible, it wasn’t a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent,” Evenepoel wrote on his Twitter account. “As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain.”

A second rider also crashed at the same spot. Magnus Sheffield of the United States sustained a concussion and bruises and was treated at a local hospital.

In previous incidents, Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt was killed in a crash on a descent at the Giro d'Italia in May 2011. Another Belgian rider, Antoine Demoitié, died after crashing at the one-day Gent-Wevelgem race in March 2016.

Mäder was one of Switzerland's best young riders. He won a stage at the 2021 Giro and placed fifth overall in the Spanish Vuelta that year. He also was fifth in the Paris-Nice stage race in March.

“We are heartbroken," Tour de Suisse organizers said in a statement. "Gino, you’ve been an excellent rider but even more a wonderful person. Always smiling and making people happy around you.”

Mäder was asked on Sunday by a reporter at the race finish what would make him happy at the end of the week-long race. “If I’m still healthy and I enjoy my home race, maybe have some success with the team,” Mäder had said.

Team manager Milan Erzen praised the rider, saying his “talent, dedication, and enthusiasm were an inspiration to us all.”

“Not only was he an extremely talented cyclist,” Erzen said, "but a great person off the bike.”

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright 2023 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation

Tags: Associated Press , injuries , health , cycling , world news , sports

America 2024

Health News Bulletin

Stay informed on the latest news on health and COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report.

Sign in to manage your newsletters »

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

You May Also Like

The 10 worst presidents.

U.S. News Staff Feb. 23, 2024

Cartoons on President Donald Trump

Feb. 1, 2017, at 1:24 p.m.

Photos: Obama Behind the Scenes

April 8, 2022

Photos: Who Supports Joe Biden?

March 11, 2020

Biden Besting Trump in Campaign Cash

Susan Milligan and Lauren Camera March 29, 2024

The Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Explained

Elliott Davis Jr. March 29, 2024

Key Inflation Gauge Ticks Up

Tim Smart March 29, 2024

Who Is ISIS-K?

Trevor Bach March 28, 2024

Consumers Steady as Economy Hums Along

Tim Smart March 28, 2024

'Very Active' 2024 Hurricane Season

Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder March 27, 2024

Tour de France overshadowed by safety concerns following death of Swiss rider Gino Mäder

I t’s a race that grips the world of cycling each year, but the prelude to the 2023 Tour de France, which starts on Saturday, has been overshadowed by concerns over safety that have raised existential questions for the sport.

In June, Swiss rider Gino Mäder died aged 26 following a crash on the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse.

Almost 200 kilometers into the race, Mäder crashed at high speed with American rider Magnus Sheffield, race organizers said after the incident. They were descending the Albula Pass towards La Punt, where the stage ended.

Mäder fell into a ravine and was found motionless in the water before being resuscitated and transported to hospital in the city of Chur by air ambulance.

His death sparked emotional tributes but also raised concerns about the safety measures around elite cycling.

From improving technology and a changing dynamic in the peloton, cycling is evolving and some are calling for it to change – and fast to ensure greater safety for the riders.

Adam Hansen, a former rider who competed in the Tour de France eight times, is the newly-elected president of the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA) – the organization tasked with looking after the interests of professional cyclists.

Hansen told CNN Sport that, as bikes have become faster, professional cycling has become a “very dangerous sport.”

But it’s not just speed that’s the issue. In any bike race, much of the racing focuses on what’s happening in the peloton – the main body of cyclists – and how riders and teams jockey for position.

“You have probably heard this term in cycling, ‘there’s no more respect in the peloton.’ And what I believe this actually means is riders are being more dangerous in the peloton,” Hansen explained.

“In the first 150 kilometers of a 200-kilometer race, riders would respect each other, they won’t cut each other off, they won’t fight for a position when there’s more than 100 kilometers to go before the finish, they’re more relaxed. And now people are just fighting for every single spot and they’re sort of touching elbows and shoulders with other riders and just becoming more dangerous in that sense.”

Hansen says that riders won’t struggle for motivation in this year’s Tour, but Mäder ’s death will likely be playing in their minds of some competitors at certain points.

“I know when there will be fast, high-speed descents, there’s definitely going to be some riders with let’s say that thought in the back of their head, and they’ll be a bit more nervous and a bit more cautious and maybe take less risk.”

Tom Pidcock, who rides for team Ineos, says Mäder’s death could result in some more cautious descending from riders.

“I think especially for everyone who was at the race [Tour de Suisse], that was pretty hard hitting,” the British rider told reporters on Wednesday. “I think I didn’t see a single rider take any risks on the last two stages after that incident.

“Personally, one of the things that hit me was it happened descending, which is something that I love. It showed me what the consequences can be when it goes wrong. I don’t take unnecessary risks but things can happen when we’re riding down a descent at 100kph in lycra.”

Hansen says that in his role as the president of the CPA, he has worked with riders to see how cycling could be made potentially safer.

From unified signage between races to help riders and safety nets on descents down to the minutia of how close a steward stands in front of a parked car, nothing is off the table for Hansen before he delivers his recommendations to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) – cycling’s world governing body.

There is a growing swell of advocates for the addition of safety nets on high speed corners in an effort to catch cyclists falling over a precipice.

“In the rare situation in which somebody goes over the edge, having a small amount of netting there could save lives,” Jonathan Vaughters, manager of the EF Education Easy Post team, told The Guardian . “Safety is a very difficult topic in cycling. I saw a lot of suggestions from people about limiting speed on descents and that doing that would make it safer.”

Hansen adds that educating an increasingly youthful peloton is an important factor in making the sport safer.

“Riders have to be aware that cycling is a dangerous sport. And I think sometimes they forget this and they have to be educated well in this,” he explained. “And also there’s a lot of young good riders at the moment where in the past, if you look at the average age of the Tour de France … [it] was quite old, where today we’ve got 20-year-old’s doing it.

“So what I felt is you’re getting these super young guys doing big races like Dauphine in Switzerland and the Giro [‘d’Italia], the Tour [de France].

“Like this year in the Giro, I think a 19-year-old has done it two times before. And normally you’d be 24 years old and you’ve done five years of professional racing before doing a grand tour. So maybe it’s inexperience.

“These are things we need to look into more and definitely educate the riders the dangers of it and it’s not worth taking massive risks.”

CNN has contacted Tour de France race organizers to ask about any additional safety measures being implemented but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

The 2023 Tour de France will see the famous race celebrate its 120th anniversary.

The first stage – called the Grand Départ – is 182 kilometers long and starts from Bilbao, Spain – the host country of the first three stages before the Tour moves to France. Since the 1950s, the Tour has often started in a different country as a way of allowing fans from other nations to experience the race.

In total, there will be 21 stages including eight flat stages, eight mountain stages, four hilly stages, one individual time trial, and two rest days. The race will finish in Paris on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday, July 23.

The famous yellow jersey will be awarded to the winner of the individual general classification, with the green jersey given to the points classification winner.

The polka dot jersey is given to the best climber and the white jersey goes to the best young rider.

An epic duel

Jonas Vingegaard is the Tour’s defending champion. The Danish rider had come close in years prior to the 2022 race, but eventually claimed the yellow in dramatic fashion last year and has continued to look strong this season, winning the Critérium du Dauphiné in June.

Vingegaard, who rides for team Jumbo–Visma, will have to fend off the challenge of Tadej Pogačar, a two-time winner of the Tour de France, if he wants to win a second title.

Pogačar had enjoyed a brilliant start to the season but broke his wrist two months ago, only returning to competitive racing earlier this month.

If the Slovenian looks anything close to his best, it could prove to be a fascinating battle between Pogačar and Vingegaard. Last year, the two went head-to-head with Vingegaard eventually pipping the UAE Emirates star and the pair look likely to lock horns once again this year.

Elsewhere, 2019 Tour de France champion Egan Bernal is competing in his first Grand Tour event since suffering serious injuries in a crash last year.

The Colombian collided with the back of a bus, suffering back, leg, knee and chest injuries but is now part of an Ineos team hoping to climb back to the summit of men’s cycling.

How to watch

Viewers in the US can tune into USA Network and NBC to watch the action, while in the UK, the Tour de France is being shown on Eurosport and ITV.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

• Athlete Index

How Many People Have Died at the Tour De France?

The Tour De France is the crown jewel of cycling for a reason. The race not only tests riders’ skills and endurance, but it also tests their mettle. Racing at speeds in excess of 50 miles an hour down a rain-slicked road on the edge of a mountain is beyond dangerous. Sadly, those conditions have resulted in fatal accidents in years past, not only for the riders, but spectators as well. How many people have died in the Tour De France ?

The history of the Tour De France

The Tour De France started in 1903 in an effort for a local newspaper to increase sales. Since that original race, the Tour has morphed over time to its current form. The current race includes 21 stages that are run over 23 days.

The race, which is generally contested in July, includes up to 22 teams with eight riders on each team. The format is consistent each year and includes time trials, passage through the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, and a finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

There are inherent dangers with cycling by itself, but those risks increase dramatically on the Tour De France. And it’s not just one thing, it’s a combination of challenging factors, including dozens of riders jockeying for position, and doing so on streets that can sometimes be dirt roads, cobblestone, oil-stained, and often very slick due to rainy conditions. Add in the fact that spectators are lining the streets and each team’s chase vehicles are cruising on the route, and it can be a recipe for disaster. Sometimes, that disaster can be fatal.  

How many riders have died at the Tour De France?  

The first death during the actual race occurred in 1935 when Spanish racer Francisco Cepeda plunged down a ravine on the Col du Galibiera, a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Alps that is the highest point of the Tour de France. Cepeda suffered serious injuries and died while being transported to the hospital.

The next death during the Tour happened more than thirty years later in 1967. During Stage 13, Tom Simpson, who was considered to be one of Britain’s most successful professional cyclists, died of heart failure during the ascent of Mont Ventoux. Amphetamines and alcohol were later discovered in Simpson’s blood, and this cocktail ultimately resulted in his death.

The most recent Tour De France rider to die occurred in 1995. On Stage 15 as the Tour descended through the Col de Portet d’Aspet, a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees, Fabio Casartelli and several other riders were traveling at 55 miles per hour when they were involved in a serious crash. Casartelli, who was an Olympic gold medalist and 24 years old at the time, sustained heavy facial and head injuries. He lost consciousness. While being transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital, he stopped breathing, and after numerous resuscitation attempts, the Italian was declared dead.

Additional people who have died at the Tour De France

The Tour De France, unfortunately, isn’t only perilous for riders. Seven other fatal accidents have occurred in the race’s history involving others outside of the racers. The most deadly happened in 1964 when nine people died after a supply van hit a bridge.

Since 2000, there have been three deaths during the 23-day long race. In each case, it’s been a spectator hit by a vehicle. In 2000, 12-year-old boy was struck by a car in the Tour de France publicity caravan. In 2002, a seven-year-old boy, also died after being hit by the caravan. The most recent death occurred in 2009 when a woman in her 60s was killed after a police motorcycle struck her. 

While the Tour De France is known as the most prestigious cycling race in the world, it’s also the most dangerous.

Lance Armstrong Fell From Tour de France Champion to America’s Most Hated Athlete

Russia Fires Back After IOC Bans Its Athletes From Opening Ceremony In Paris

Carlos Alcaraz Captures Indian Wells Championship

Nikola Jokic And The Nuggets Easily Dispatch Victor Wembanyama And The Spurs

Kyle Dalton

Kyle Dalton began covering sports in 1992 after he graduated from the University of Texas school of journalism. He published his book Burned Orange: Tom Penders and 10 Years at the University of Texas in 2000, and joined Sportscasting in 2020. Kyle expertly covers the NFL, NASCAR, and NCAA football.

Kyle finds inspiration in the unscripted drama of sports, the compelling journeys and life stories of the athletes who play the games, and he enjoys reading the work of Mitch Albom. He is a rabid consumer of all sports on all platforms: TV, Twitter, podcasts, live events, and more.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Cyclist Gino Mäder, 26, dies after a high-speed crash in the Swiss Alps

Bill Chappell

Team Bahrain cyclist Gino Mäder of Switzerland died after suffering a terrible crash in the Tour de Suisse. He's seen here at the 2021 Giro d'Italia road race, wearing the blue jersey signifying the best climber. Dario Belingheri/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Team Bahrain cyclist Gino Mäder of Switzerland died after suffering a terrible crash in the Tour de Suisse. He's seen here at the 2021 Giro d'Italia road race, wearing the blue jersey signifying the best climber.

Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder died Friday, one day after suffering a terrible crash during a mountain descent in stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse. Both Mäder and another racer, Magnus Sheffield of the U.S., were taken to the hospital after they were hurled into a ravine in the Swiss Alps.

Mäder, 26, crashed during the "queen stage" of the race — the label given to a multistage road race's most challenging and grueling days, which usually involve multiple ascents and test even the strongest riders.

A Pro Cyclist Rode An Unofficial, Solo Tour De France And Beat The Pack

After reaching the Albula Pass at a height just under 7,600 feet, Mäder and other riders faced a roughly 10-kilometer descent , racing down to the stage's finish line. In that segment, a motorcycle camera unit following the race leader clocked speeds of around 100 kph (62 mph).

It's not known precisely what led to the crash; TV broadcasts of the race didn't seem to catch the moment that sent the two riders off the road. "The circumstances of the accident are being clarified," race organizers said on Thursday.

After Mäder's death, the Graubünden cantonal police said on Friday that it is investigating the crash, along with the public prosecutor's office. The police issued a call for witnesses to come forward, particularly if they have video evidence.

The crash came in a high-speed portion of the course

During the descent, the two riders "crashed at very high speed," race organizers said. Another rider, Roland Thalmann, described the scene.

"After a long curve, two bikes were lying on the side of the road, which didn't look nice," Thalmann said, according to Cycling News . "When I looked back, I saw that two riders were quite far down."

Paint outlines of what look to be two tire tracks leading off the road at the curve where Swiss rider Gino Mäder fell during a high-speed descent of the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse. Mäder, 26, died from injuries he sustained when he plunged into a ravine. Arnd Wiegmann/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Paint outlines of what look to be two tire tracks leading off the road at the curve where Swiss rider Gino Mäder fell during a high-speed descent of the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse. Mäder, 26, died from injuries he sustained when he plunged into a ravine.

"The race doctor was on the scene of the accident within two minutes," organizers said. Dr. Roland Kretsch found Sheffield, 21, responsive, with a concussion and bruises. Mäder was in far worse condition in a creek, as he "lay motionless in the water," according to organizers.

The medical team was able to resuscitate Mäder, and he was airlifted to a hospital. Kretsch later told SRF that the cyclists were found far below the roadway, and that Mäder had injuries to his head area.

Mäder's death stuns the cycling world

"Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino's family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," Mäder's cycling squad, Team Bahrain Victorious, said as it announced his death.

"Today and every day, we ride for you, Gino," the team said.

An aerial photo from June 16, 2023, shows the curve where Swiss rider Gino Mäder crashed during a high-speed descent in the Tour de Suisse. Arnd Wiegmann/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

An aerial photo from June 16, 2023, shows the curve where Swiss rider Gino Mäder crashed during a high-speed descent in the Tour de Suisse.

After the tragic news emerged, cyclists rode an extremely shortened sixth stage of the Tour de Swiss as a memorial to Mäder, with organizers saying the peloton, or main pack of cyclists, would ride only the final 20 kilometers of the planned course under "neutralized" conditions, meaning competition is suspended.

At Friday's finish line, a large crowd turned out to applaud Mäder's six teammates as they crossed the finish line together.

🇨🇭 #Tourdesuisse In honour of Gino! @tds #RideAsOne pic.twitter.com/3jX6WD4BFq — Team Bahrain Victorious (@BHRVictorious) June 16, 2023

The new plan followed another last-minute change, after an avalanche blocked Friday's planned route in the mountains.

In 2021, Mäder won the best young cyclist's white jersey at La Vuelta, Spain's 21-stage race. He took fifth place in that race — the same spot he earned earlier this year, in the eight-day Paris-Nice race.

The Tour de Suisse isn't one of road cycling's three "Grand Tour" races, but with eight stages and plenty of high mountains, it's widely seen as a key tune-up for the Tour de France in July.

Race course layout is put under scrutiny

After Thursday's crash, Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel, the reigning world champion, criticized the race course's layout, as he sent his hopes for recovery to riders who crashed.

I hope all the guys that were involved in a crash are okay!! 🙏🏻❤️ I hope that the final of today's stage is food for thought for both cycling organisers as well as ourselves as riders. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/UZm6sRwiez — Remco Evenepoel (@EvenepoelRemco) June 15, 2023

"While a summit finish would have been perfectly possible, it wasn't a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent," Evenepoel said . "As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain."

Evenepoel posted that message on Thursday, before news of Mäder's death emerged.

In many stage races with famously imposing mountains, organizers place the finish line at the very top of the mountain, or just beyond it.

Tour De France Officials Search For Spectator Who Caused Massive Crash

Thursday's stage included three mountain passes, with the first (Furka) and last (Albula) rated as "Hors Catégorie" — a designation reserved for ultra-steep climbs that are beyond cycling's normal 5-level categorization for mountains.

"We will see the best climbers in action again, but the last kilometers will also require a large dose of courage and honed descent skills," the race's official guide stated . It promised that the closing kilometers, descending from the Albula Pass to the mountain village of La Punt, "will be something to see."

Mäder died exactly 75 years after the only other death in the Tour de Suisse, which came when Richard Depoorter crashed in a dim tunnel and was run over by an escort vehicle in 1948, according to Swiss broadcaster RSF .

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Entertainment

26-Year-Old Pro Cyclist Gino Mäder Dead After Crashing into Ravine During Tour de Suisse

Gino Mäder's team, Bahrain Victorious, paid tribute to the "extraordinary athlete" in a statement on Friday

Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

Gino Mäder, a 26-year-old professional cyclist, has died following a crash during stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse.

"It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we have to announce the passing of Gino Mäder," team Bahrain Victorious shared in a statement on their website Friday.

“On Friday 16th June, following a very serious crash during stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his battle to recover from the severe injuries he sustained."

"Following the high-speed incident which occurred on the final descent of Thursday’s stage, the 26-year-old was resuscitated at the scene by medical staff who also performed CPR, before being airlifted to hospital," the statement continued.

According to CNN , race organizers said in a statement that Mäder was almost 125 miles into Thursday's race when he crashed at high speed with American rider Magnus Sheffield. At the time of the incident, the two cyclists were making their way down the 7,500-foot-high Albula Pass in the heart of the Albula Alps towards the town of La Punt.

On Thursday, a statement shared by Tour de Suisse detailed that Mäder was found motionless in water at the foot of the ravine. He was resuscitated at the scene and transported to a hospital in the city of Chur by air ambulance. 

"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 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team," Bahrain Victorious added in their statement.

"Gino was an extraordinary athlete, an example of determination, a valued member of our team and the whole cycling community," they continued. "His talent, dedication, and passion for the sport has inspired us all."

According to CNN, Tour de Suisse said it was “heartbroken” over the incident, and described Mäder as an “excellent rider” and “wonderful person.”

RvS.Media/Basile Barbey/Getty Images

On Friday, the peleton of Tour de Suisse cyclists held a minute's silence to honor Mäder ahead of the next stage of the race, the starting point of which had been moved from La Punt to Chur, according to Cycling News .

Mäder had ridden for Bahrain Victorious since 2021, per the BBC , and won sixth place in the general classification of the prestigious Vuelta a España in Spain the same year, winning the best younger rider award in the process. 

Last year, the cyclist — who had also previously won stages of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de Suisse — tweeted that he would donate 1 Swiss Franc for every rider who finished behind him in a race throughout the 2022 season. Mäder explained that the money would go "towards the fight against climate change."

Bahrain Victorious' Managing Director Milan Erzen said that the team was "devastated by the loss of our exceptional cyclist, Gino Mäder.”

He continued: “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.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“Bahrain Victorious will race in his honor, keeping his memory on every road we race. We are determined to show the spirit and passion Gino displayed, and he will always remain an integral part of our team.”

Sheffield, the 21-year-old American involved in the crash with Mäder, sustained bruises and a concussion, his team Ineos Grenadiers , announced in a statement. He was taken to Samedan Hospital and kept overnight to monitor his soft tissue damage,

Related Articles

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Cyclist Dies After Mountain Crash in Tour de Suisse

Gino Mäder of Switzerland and another rider tumbled into a ravine during the fourth stage on Thursday. Mäder, 26, died Friday morning.

By Victor Mather

UPDATE: Tour de Suisse organizers decided to hold the race’s final two stages this weekend, but three teams, including the Bahrain-Victorious squad the employed Gino Mäder, announced they had dropped out .

A Swiss bicycle racer who crashed on a fast descent during the Tour de Suisse died on Friday, one day after he and another competitor tumbled into a ravine in the Swiss Alps.

The rider, Gino Mäder of Switzerland, was transported to the hospital after the crash on Thursday but died of his injuries on Friday morning, his team, Bahrain-Victorious, said in a statement .

Friday’s stage was canceled after race organizers informed the other teams and the race’s other riders of the death of Mäder, 26, about 30 minutes before it had been scheduled to start. The tour, an important prep race for next month’s Tour de France, is scheduled to continue through Sunday.

Some riders were in tears after hearing the news with the rest of the competitors. Race organizers said the peloton would ride together for part of Friday’s scheduled route in tribute to Mäder. The race is expected to resume on Saturday.

Mäder crashed along with an American rider, Magnus Sheffield, on Stage 5 of the weeklong race, a day that ends with a final descent down the Albula Pass, in the Swiss Alps. The final section where the crash took place, down an unprotected mountain road with mountains to its left and a steep drop-off just beyond its right edge, was largely empty when the riders passed through it.

Mäder and Sheffield were treated where they came to rest, near a set of drainage pipes down a sharp slope. Sheffield, who was reported to have sustained a concussion and cuts and bruises, appeared to be able to walk back up the hill with assistance. Mäder was more seriously injured. After initial treatment, he was evacuated from the scene in a helicopter.

“Gino Mäder lay motionless in the water,” race organizers said in a statement after the crash. “He was immediately resuscitated and then transported to Chur hospital by air ambulance.”

Mäder and Sheffield apparently fell off their bikes and then tumbled down an embankment, according to another rider in the race.

“After a long curve, two bikes were lying on the side of the road, which didn’t look nice,” the cyclist Roland Thalmann told the Swiss broadcaster SRF . “When I looked back, I saw that two riders were quite far down.”

Another rider suggested the crash, and the area where it occurred, should be a warning to race organizers.

“I hope that the final of today’s stage is food for thought for both cycling organizers as well as ourselves as riders,” the reigning world champion Remco Evenepoel said on Twitter after the crash but before news of Mäder’s death became public. “It wasn’t a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent. As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain.” Evenepoel is in fourth place in the Tour de Suisse.

Mäder’s career highlights were a fifth-place finish in the Vuelta a España and a stage win in the Giro d’Italia in 2021. This season he was fifth in the Paris-Nice race behind the two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar.

Serious injury and deaths of professional cyclists in accidents are not uncommon, although they mostly occur in collisions with cars while training. In races, the danger is greatest on mountain descents, on which riders can reach speeds of 60 miles an hour.

The Italian rider Fabio Casartelli, a teammate of Lance Armstrong, died after a crash on a descent at the 1995 Tour de France.

Victor Mather covers every sport for The Times. More about Victor Mather

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Remembering the Tour de France riders who died in the first world war

The Tour de France lost great champions, characters and cyclists to the war that swept through Europe in 1914. They will be honoured this summer during the first world war centennial

Do you remember that hour of din before the attack And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men? Do you remember the stretcher cases lurching back With dying eyes and lolling heads – those ashen-grey Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay? Have you forgotten yet?... Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you’ll never forget.

- Aftermath, by Siegfried Sassoon (1919)

Every French town and village has one – from the simple soldier leaning on his rifle to overblown celebrations of mass slaughter. And each one of the estimated 30,000 war memorials that pepper the French landscape lists the names of the sons and brothers, fathers and uncles who travelled to the great slaughterhouses of the Western Front and lie forever under the mud of the Somme and Ypres, Verdun and the Marne. Their sacrifice marked forever by those simple words " Mort Pour La France".

On 9 July 2014 the Tour de France will leave the shadow of the Menin Gate in Ypres, where the Last Post still sounds at sunset, and wend its way over nine sections of cobbles shadowing the route of the "Hell of the North", Paris-Roubaix, before threading its way east and into the once disputed territories of Alsace and Lorraine. Passing the Menin Gate, Arras, the Chemin des Dames , Verdun and Douaumont, the 2014 Tour will pay its respects to the fallen of the first world war – and in doing so it will remember the riders of the Tour de France who died in the "war to end all Wars".

The 1914 Tour should be remembered for Philippe Thys’s second victory (and he would go on to win a third in 1920), but Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip on the 28 June as Thys was stamping his authority on the race by winning the first stage – from Paris to Le Havre – and the events that unleashed the hell of the first world war escalated rapidly throughout the month of July. Six days after the Tour finished, France ordered military mobilisation and, by 3 August, France and Germany were at war.

Despite Desgrange’s desire to run the race in 1915, the Tour was suspended until 1919, when it would return to the battle-scarred roads of France with stages to Strasbourg "le jour de gloire" and Metz "the day of memory". And there would be a new symbol of renewal and rebirth: Le Maillot Jaune . Imagine how the Yellow Jersey must have blazed and glowed as the Tour entered those devastated territories of eastern France.

The Belgians would go on to dominate the postwar years but the reason for their domination may have more to do with the way the guerre mondiale played out than any supposed physical superiority on behalf of the Belgians. While the French lost 1,397,800 young men in combat, the Belgians lost just 58,637.

Belgium was neutral in 1914 and, though her tiny army chose to fight – and created a breathing space for the British and French forces to organise their campaigns in doing so – the country was swiftly occupied. While the French lost a generation of champions on the battlefield, the Belgians endured the German occupation – the "Rape of Belgium".

It hardened attitudes and crystallised a resistance around the idea of Flemish nationalism. And so began the rise of the Flahutes , the hardmen, who were older, tougher and wiser, inured to hardship and with a point to prove. The average age of a Tour de France winner rose sharply from 1919 and didn’t begin to fall again until 1930, when a 26-year-old called André Leducq triumphed for France.

There was one other huge impact on the race. With trade teams unable to individually organise the equipment they needed for their riders to mount an assault on the Tour – so much had been sequestered for the war effort and the market for new bicycles was slim – they were forced to co-operate and ride for the conglomerate La Sportive team in uniform grey jerseys, their team allegiances denoted only by different coloured epaulettes: purple for Peugeot, dark green for Automoto, blue for Alcyon and so on.

It is almost impossible now to imagine the 1914 Tour continuing against the backdrop of the escalating political crisis. During his 200km solo breakaway on stage 13, Francois Faber was followed for part of the way by an armed soldier from one of the French bicyclist battalions yet in the images of the time he rides on oblivious. Desgrange, editorialising in l’Auto on 3 August 1914, was typically bullish:

“It’s a big match that you have to fight: make good use of all your repertoire. Tactics should hold no worries for you. Use your guile and you’ll return…you know all that, my lads, better than me who you’ve been teaching for nearly 15 years. But be careful! When your rifle is pointed at their chest, they’ll ask your forgiveness. Don’t give it to them. Crush them without pity.”

Desgrange stood behind his words and volunteered for the French army as a poilou and served with the infantry, though he was in his fifties by then. He would win the Croix de Guerre for his efforts and continue to write for l’Auto throughout the war. Already his thoughts were turning towards the next Tour de France.

Many of the riders who had competed in the first 11 years of the race would not live to see the 1919 Tour, including three of the great pre-war Tour champions who never returned from the battlefield.

Francois Faber (who won the Tour in 1909 to become the first foreign champion) was killed Mont-Saint-Eloi on 9 May 1915. The Luxembourgeois was fighting in the First Regiment of the Foreign Legion. His body was never found. A monument to him exists in Albain-Saint-Nazaire. He was the "Geant de Colombes" who won six stages, including an unbeaten record five in a row in the 1909 Tour de France to seal the victory and take his place in the history books.

The word panache might have been coined for Faber's exploits in that race; he took one stage with a 255km solo escape to finish 33 minutes ahead of his rivals; he won another by passing over the Ballon d’Alsace, then he raced along the cols Porte, Laffrey and Bayard in first place while the heavens threw all they could muster at him. He was hoisted shoulder high by the crowds in Paris when he sprinted across the final line in the Parc des Princes , his bike on his back, having broken his chain 3km from the finish. Of such stuff was the Geant de Colombes made.

Octave Lapize, who won the Tour in 1910, was shot down on Bastille Day in 1917. Lapize – nicknamed Le Frise for his mop of curls – won the first historic raid through the Pyrenees in 1910 and encapsulated all his anger and frustration in that one word "Assassins!" Lapize was the first rider ever to cross the summit of the Tourmalet – his steel statue , le Geant , is towed to the summit on the first Saturday of June every year. You can ride up alongside him as he makes his way to the top of the climb, into the rarefied air at 2,122m.

Lapize would go on to win that 1910 Tour and the go up in a biplane on a rest day for his bapteme de l'air , the start of a love affair with flying that ended in the skies over the French border. Mortally wounded, he died a few days later of his injuries. He was 29.

Lucien Petit-Breton, the winner 1907 and 1908, was killed in a car crash on 20 December 1917. Petit-Breton had been involved in the "taxis of the Marne" operation in 1904, when French troop reinforcements were sent to the front line in a fleet of Paris taxi cabs. He was part of a bicycle battalion before driving vans for la Poste . Legend says he was on a secret military operation behind the lines when he met his death but it seems he simply had a head-on collision, one moment of bad luck.

Raised in Argentina, Lucien Mazan rode under a pseudonym to escape his father's vilification and won his back-to-back Tours as a poinconnee – it was his skills as a mechanic as much as a rider that sealed his victories. Petit-Breton was the first real superstar of the Tour, his image adorning Peugeot posters and young female fans naming their kittens after him. Crashing out of the 1913 Tour, his kneecap shattered, he would never win the race again.

Marcel Kerff, the Belgian who finished sixth in the 1903 Tour, raced resplendent in a white safari suit, was either hanged or shot as a spy by the Germans in August 1914.

Emile Engel, the winner of stage three on 2 July 1914, died in the Battle of the Marne later that year.

Francois Lafourcade , who lit up the first Pyreneean stages and poisoned Paul Duboc in 1911, died in 1917. Duboc was luckier; he survived the attempted poisoning but died in the second world war at the age of 57.

Henri Alavoine, the brother of Gars Jean , who won 17 stages of the Tour and died of injuries sustained in aerial combat in 1916.

Anselme Mazin, Lucien Petit-Breton’s brother, fell victim to the recklessness of General Nivelle in 1915. It was in protest against Nivelle’s tactics that the infantry advanced into No man's land bleating like lambs to the slaughter. Was Mazin among them?

Anthony "the Tortoise" Wattelier, who died on the Somme.

Charles Privas , who had shone in the 1913 Tour, died in the first few weeks of the conflict.

Pierre Marie Privat, a talented caricaturist who died two days after brothers-in-law Leon Hourlier and Leon Comes fell from the skies together in an aerial accident in 1915.

German cyclists Willy Honeman and Willy Schmitter, who were killed on the same day as Hourlier and Comes.

René Cottrel, Jean Perreard, Marius Villette, François Cordier, Frédéric Rigaux, René Etien, who all died in the Battle of Gallipoli.

Georges Bronchard, the 1906 Lanterne Rouge, who died in 1918

Pierre Vuge, the most gifted of a family of cycling brothers, who died in 1918

Albert Niepceron, who rode the 1904 Tour de France and served in the infantry, died in the final days of the war

Camille Fily, the youngest ever rider in the Tour, who was shot and killed on the Kemmelberg in Belgium in May 1918

Emile Guyon, who was Swiss by birth but French by adoption, died in the skies in October 1918.

Franck Henry, the young hope of French cycling; Philippe Alary, who only turned professional in 1913; and the young 21-year-old André Batilly, who all died in 1915.

Emile Besnier, Vincent Buisson and Albert Cartigny, who died in the early days of the war in September 1914 aged 21.

Marcel Chanut, Louis Constans and Maurice Dejoie, who rode the Tour for Clement-Dunlop in 1914 and died in Greece in 1915.

Albert Delrieu, who rode as an individual in 1913 and 1914;Raymond Didier another individual who rode four Tours from 1908 until 1911 and was no longer a professional when he died in 1915.

Auguste Garnier, who rode as a professional in 1914.

Roland Garros, after whom the French Open tennis stadium is named, was a cyclist in his youth who rode under the pseudonymous anagram Roland Danlor and died in aerial combat a month before the war ended.

Paul Gombault, who was born in Reims and died in Picardie in 1916.

Ernest Haillotte, who rode against Petit-Breton in 1908 for the Fortunat team.

Adrien Heloin who rode for the mighty Alcyon team, Herve.

Emile Lachaise, who was 20th in the 1909 Tour

Eugene Lacot, who spent a year as a professional in 1908

Louis Lecuona, a Parisian who rode the controversial 1904 race.

Emile Maitrot, the 1901 world speed champion, who died on the Somme in 1916.

Francois Marcastel, who died in Hannover, Germany at the beginning of the war.

Gabriel Mathonat, who finished 31st in the 1910 Tour and he died on 22 August 1914.

Marceau Narcy, an Alcyon rider who died almost at the outbreak of war in September 1914.

Armand Perin, who rode as an individual in the first ever Tour in 1903 and again in 1908 for the Perin Cycles team.

Jean-Marie Perreard, who died in Lisieux, France in 1914 aged 31.

Charles Ponson, who finished 48th in the 1909 Tour riding for the French Indiana team.

Felix Pregnac, who turned professional in 1914 aged 34 and was killed later that year in Lorraine.

Pierre Stabat, a first year professional when he rode the 1914 Tour as an individual.

Georges Tribouillard, who was seventh in the 1913 Paris-Tours and died of his injuries after the war had ended in 1919.

Edmond Heliot, Leon Dupoux, Emmanuelle Fillon, Francois Julien, Francis Lebars, Eugene Leonard, Auguste Meziere, Rene Michel, Maurice Petit, Aguste Pierron and Marcel Robert.

They all rode the Tour de France and all have their names inscribed on war memorials around the French countryside: Mort Pour la France . They swapped the Hell of the North and the mud of the unmade roads of the Tour for the hell and the mud of No man’s land. They are les disparus : the "disappeared" – how curiously beautiful and moving, as if they simply rode into the dust clouds of the paves or the lost and secret corners of the mountains and never came back.

• Tour de France
• Guardian Sport Network
• Tour de France 2014
• First world war

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

• >", "name": "top-nav-watch", "type": "link"}}' href="https://watch.outsideonline.com">Watch
• >", "name": "top-nav-learn", "type": "link"}}' href="https://learn.outsideonline.com">Learn
• >", "name": "top-nav-podcasts", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.outsideonline.com/podcast-directory/">Podcasts
• >", "name": "top-nav-maps", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.gaiagps.com">Maps
• >", "name": "top-nav-events", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.athletereg.com/events">Events
• >", "name": "top-nav-shop", "type": "link"}}' href="https://shop.outsideonline.com">Shop
• >", "name": "top-nav-buysell", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell">BuySell
• >", "name": "top-nav-outside", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.outsideonline.com/outsideplus">Outside+

Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Already have an account? >", "name": "mega-signin", "type": "link"}}' class="u-color--red-dark u-font--xs u-text-transform--upper u-font-weight--bold">Sign In

Outside watch, outside learn.

• >", "name": "mega-backpacker-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.backpacker.com/">Backpacker
• >", "name": "mega-climbing-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.climbing.com/">Climbing
• >", "name": "mega-flyfilmtour-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://flyfilmtour.com/">Fly Fishing Film Tour
• >", "name": "mega-gaiagps-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.gaiagps.com/">Gaia GPS
• >", "name": "mega-npt-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.nationalparktrips.com/">National Park Trips
• >", "name": "mega-outsideonline-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.outsideonline.com/">Outside
• >", "name": "mega-outsideio-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.outside.io/">Outside.io
• >", "name": "mega-outsidetv-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://watch.outsideonline.com">Outside Watch
• >", "name": "mega-ski-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.skimag.com/">Ski
• >", "name": "mega-warrenmiller-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://warrenmiller.com/">Warren Miller Entertainment

Healthy Living

• >", "name": "mega-ce-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/">Clean Eating
• >", "name": "mega-oxy-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.oxygenmag.com/">Oxygen
• >", "name": "mega-vt-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.vegetariantimes.com/">Vegetarian Times
• >", "name": "mega-yj-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.yogajournal.com/">Yoga Journal
• >", "name": "mega-beta-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.betamtb.com/">Beta
• >", "name": "mega-pinkbike-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.pinkbike.com/">Pinkbike
• >", "name": "mega-roll-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.rollmassif.com/">Roll Massif
• >", "name": "mega-trailforks-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.trailforks.com/">Trailforks
• >", "name": "mega-trail-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://trailrunnermag.com/">Trail Runner
• >", "name": "mega-tri-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.triathlete.com/">Triathlete
• >", "name": "mega-vn-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://velo.outsideonline.com/">Velo
• >", "name": "mega-wr-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.womensrunning.com/">Women's Running
• >", "name": "mega-athletereg-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.athletereg.com/">athleteReg
• >", "name": "mega-bicycleretailer-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.bicycleretailer.com/">Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
• >", "name": "mega-cairn-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.getcairn.com/">Cairn
• >", "name": "mega-finisherpix-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.finisherpix.com/">FinisherPix
• >", "name": "mega-idea-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.ideafit.com/">Idea
• >", "name": "mega-nastar-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.nastar.com/">NASTAR
• >", "name": "mega-shop-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.outsideinc.com/outside-books/">Outside Books
• >", "name": "mega-veloswap-link", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.veloswap.com/">VeloSwap
• >", "name": "mega-backpacker-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.backpacker.com/">Backpacker
• >", "name": "mega-climbing-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.climbing.com/">Climbing
• >", "name": "mega-flyfilmtour-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://flyfilmtour.com/">Fly Fishing Film Tour
• >", "name": "mega-gaiagps-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.gaiagps.com/">Gaia GPS
• >", "name": "mega-npt-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.nationalparktrips.com/">National Park Trips
• >", "name": "mega-outsideonline-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.outsideonline.com/">Outside
• >", "name": "mega-outsidetv-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://watch.outsideonline.com">Watch
• >", "name": "mega-ski-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.skimag.com/">Ski
• >", "name": "mega-warrenmiller-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://warrenmiller.com/">Warren Miller Entertainment
• >", "name": "mega-ce-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/">Clean Eating
• >", "name": "mega-oxy-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.oxygenmag.com/">Oxygen
• >", "name": "mega-vt-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.vegetariantimes.com/">Vegetarian Times
• >", "name": "mega-yj-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.yogajournal.com/">Yoga Journal
• >", "name": "mega-beta-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.betamtb.com/">Beta
• >", "name": "mega-roll-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.rollmassif.com/">Roll Massif
• >", "name": "mega-trail-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://trailrunnermag.com/">Trail Runner
• >", "name": "mega-tri-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.triathlete.com/">Triathlete
• >", "name": "mega-vn-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://velo.outsideonline.com/">Velo
• >", "name": "mega-wr-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.womensrunning.com/">Women's Running
• >", "name": "mega-athletereg-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.athletereg.com/">athleteReg
• >", "name": "mega-bicycleretailer-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.bicycleretailer.com/">Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
• >", "name": "mega-finisherpix-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.finisherpix.com/">FinisherPix
• >", "name": "mega-idea-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.ideafit.com/">Idea
• >", "name": "mega-nastar-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.nastar.com/">NASTAR
• >", "name": "mega-shop-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://shop.outsideonline.com/">Outside Shop
• >", "name": "mega-vp-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.velopress.com/">VeloPress
• >", "name": "mega-veloswap-link-accordion", "type": "link"}}' href="https://www.veloswap.com/">VeloSwap

2-FOR-1 GA TICKETS WITH OUTSIDE+

Don’t miss Thundercat, Fleet Foxes, and more at the Outside Festival.

GET TICKETS

OUTSIDE FESTIVAL JUNE 1-2

Don't miss Thundercat + Fleet Foxes, adventure films, experiences, and more!

Tour de France

Federico bahamontes, spain’s first tour de france winner, dies at 95, the 'eagle of toledo' won six king of the mountains jerseys and one yellow jersey as he raced during cycling's 'golden era' of the 1950s and 1960s..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Federico Bahamontes, the pure climber who became the first rider from Spain to win the Tour de France , died Tuesday. He was 95.

Born in 1928, the “Eagle of Toledo” raced against some of the peloton’s biggest names in the Tour golden era of the 1950s and 1960s.

He won the 1959 Tour de France, the first by a Spanish rider. A natural born climber, he won 11 grand tour stages across his prolific career, and won King of the Mountains jersey in all three grand tours.

Bahamontes grew up during Spain’s Civil War, and turned pro in 1953.

A keen climber, Bahamontes often targeted the climber’s jersey, winning the title six times at the Tour, which stood as a longtime record. At 95, he was the oldest living Tour winner.

Bahamontes also won seven Tour stages, three stages at the Vuelta a España, as well as the climber’s title in 1957 and 1958, and one stage at the Giro d’Italia, with the climber’s jersey in 1958.

He also finished second in the 1957 Vuelta, and second in the 1963 Tour, and third in 1964.

After retiring in 1965, Bahamontes owned a bicycle and motorcycle shop in Toledo, Spain, and was named the best climber in the history of the Tour de France by a panel organized by L’Équipe in 2013.

Popular on Velo

What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view.

Related content from the Outside Network

One way south, mountain bikers react to their first taste of non-alcoholic craft beer, video review: bmc urs 01 two gravel bike, kiel reijnen vuelta video diary: the painful decision to abandon.

Tour de France and Olympic rider Colin Lewis dies aged 79: Tributes pour in for champion Devon cyclist

On the 1967 Tour de France he rode with and shared a room with Tom Simpson, who died during the race while climbing Mont Ventoux

• 15:07, 4 MAR 2022
• Updated 15:11, 4 MAR 2022

Tour de France and Olympic cyclist Colin Lewis, whose Paignton bike shops were a Mecca for riders from all over Devon, has died at the age of 79.

He was the president of the Mid Devon Cycling Club, and died after a short illness.

Tributes began to pour in on social media after the club announced the news today.

Read more: Cricket legend Shane Warne dead at 52 after suspected heart attack

A spokesman said: “It’s with great sadness that we share the news that Colin Lewis passed away this morning after a short illness with cancer.

“Colin started his racing career with the Mid Devon and went on to become our most prolific cyclist, as a twice British National Professional Champion, Olympian and Tour De France cyclist.

“For many years Colin ran his bike shop from Manor Corner in Paignton which became a Mecca for local cyclists.

“Colin was a keen supporter of young riders and acted as a mentor to many who aspired to follow in his footsteps.”

One social media post described him as “a great ambassador for the sport” while another said: “He was a great cyclist, and was always uber-helpful”.

“Another giant gone,” wrote another.

Born in Abertysswg, just outside Caerphilly in South Wales, he finished seventh in the 1960 Milk Race - the forerunner of the Tour of Britain - at the age of just 19.

He represented Britain a number of times in Europe, and came 25th, the best British rider, in the individual road race at the 1964 Summer Olympics.

After racing in France he turned professional with the small British team Mackeson-Condor for £4 per week.

In 1967 he finished the Tour de France 84th and won the national road championship, and in 1968 he won the road championship again, the only rider to win it in successive years.

He moved to the Holdsworth-Campagnolo team in 1969 and stayed with them until he retired from professional racing in 1975.

On the 1967 Tour de France, Lewis rode with and shared a room with Tom Simpson, who died during the race while climbing Mont Ventoux.

Lewis said later: “On the climb, I heard that Tom had fallen off about a kilometre from the summit, then I saw a commotion and saw him lying on the ground.

“The team manager told me to go on and that everything was all right. I was expecting him to catch me on the descent and that we would work together.

“I was tucked up in bed after the stage, feeling pretty rough, when I heard the news. I couldn’t believe it, he was so light-hearted before the start.”

Lewis was the last Welshman to ride the Tour de France, in 1968, until Geraint Thomas in 2007.

He had 250 victories, 38 professional.

He opened a cycle shop in Manor Road, Preston in 1976, and later expanded to open a second shop beside Paignton bus station.

His wife, Pam, died in August 2010.

Mr Lewis’ death comes soon after that of another Mid Devon Cycling Club stalwart Ken Robertson, who died just before Christmas.

• London 2012 Olympics
• Most Recent

• Transfer Centre
• Live on Sky
• Get Sky Sports
• Kick It Out
• Black Lives Matter
• British South Asians in Football
• Work @ Sky Sports
• Terms & Conditions

More Sports

Britain's Tom Pidcock expects more cautious Tour de France descents after Gino Mader's death

Tom Pidcock on Tour de France descents after Gino Mader's death: "That was pretty hard hitting. I didn't see a single rider take any risks on the stages after that. What hit me was it happened descending, which I love. Things can happen when we're riding down a descent at 100kph"

Thursday 29 June 2023 08:41, UK

Britain's Tom Pidcock said Gino Mader's death during a high-speed descent in Switzerland less than two weeks ago could result in riders being more cautious at the Tour de France.

Swiss rider Mader died aged 26 due to injuries suffered when he crashed into a ravine during the Tour de Suisse. Pidcock's Ineos Grenadiers team mate Magnus Sheffield crashed separately at the same corner, suffering concussion and spending three days in hospital.

Descending is one of Pidcock's strengths but the 23-year-old, who won an iconic Tour de France stage at L'Alpe d'Huez last year, said Mader's death may have an impact on his style.

"I think especially for everyone who was at the race, that was pretty hard hitting," Pidcock, who was also competing in the eight-stage race, told reporters on Wednesday.

"I think I didn't see a single rider take any risks on the last two stages after that incident. Personally, one of the things that hit me was it happened descending, which is something that I love.

• Fight Night LIVE! Wardley and Clarke ruled draw after epic
• Neville: Arsenal answered big questions with 'unique' defensive display
• Hayes upset by Eidevall's 'male aggression' in Conti Cup final loss
• Showboating Whittaker drops and defeats stubborn Willings
• Keane: Liverpool are now favourites for the title
• Neville alarmed by 'horrible' Man Utd performance at Brentford
• Papers: Newcastle to conduct review into injury crisis
• Hits and misses: Saliba a 'giant' for maturing Arsenal, Liverpool defiant
• Riley defends title as Babic & Simpson take smashing stoppage wins
• Arsenal's Maanum 'stable' after collapsing in Conti Cup final
• Latest News

"It showed me what the consequences can be when it goes wrong. I don't take unnecessary risks but things can happen when we're riding down a descent at 100kph in Lycra."

Mader's death raised questions about rider safety and triggered calls for safety nets in the most dangerous downhill sections but Pidcock said risk will always be part of the sport.

Latest Cycling Stories

Geraint Thomas: Former Tour de France winner signs contract extension with INEOS Grenadiers

UCI to ban transgender women from participating in female cycling events under new policy

Mark Cavendish retires: Former world champion and Olympic medallist to end cycling career at end of 2023

Lizzie Deignan: British cyclist to miss 2022 season after announcing pregnancy but plans return for 2023

Grand Tour winner Egan Bernal to undergo further surgery after crash in Colombia

Egan Bernal: Former Tour de France winner to undergo surgery after training crash in Colombia

"I guess unless we all want to race round the motor racing circuits, then we have to accept that we will be racing down descents," he told the Telegraph.

"I think risks are involved in cycling and sometimes - it doesn't happen often - it can go wrong. I guess we do what we can to mitigate those risks but they'll never be gone."

Pidcock, who is also an Olympic gold medallist in cross country mountain biking, will lead Ineos at the Tour, which begins in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday.

How to watch Premier League, EFL, WSL, boxing, Miami tennis and more

• Stream with NOW

• Upgrade Now

How Many People Have Died During The Tour De France?

With the 2021 Tour de France in high gear, what better time to explore the history of France's most popular and enduring sporting event? Beginning in 1903, and also known as "Le Tour," the Tour de France is also the world's largest annual sporting event (via Men's Journal ). Taking place over 21 days, and covering over 2,174 miles (3,500 kilometers), the Tour de France has a cash purse of over $500,000 and affords instant celebrity to the winner.

Broken down into 21 stages and split into 5 categories, cyclists from the world over have to contend with two individual time trials, plus they must ride over nine flat terrains, three hilly courses, and seven mountain stages in order to complete the race (via Men's Journal ). The Tour de France is one of the most grueling athletic endeavors created. And with such a grueling course and schedule, there's bound to be some fatalities during the race's long history. According to Active , four people have perished over the Tour's demanding schedule.

The Tour de France is a treacherous race

In 1910, Adolphe Hélière was the first person to die during the Tour de France. Just seven years after its inception, 19-year-old Hélière died while taking a break from the race. After completing the sixth stage of the Tour, Hélière, along with three other cyclists, went to the beach (via LaLa Sport). While swimming in the ocean, Hélière died. The actual cause of his death remains a point of debate; however, Hélière likely died from either hydrocution (known as cold shock response) or a jellyfish sting . No matter the cause, Adolphe Hélière died on July 14th, 1910.

Francisco Cepeda was the next person to die during the Tour de France. A Spanish cyclist born on March 8, 1906, Cepeda competed in the 1935 Tour de France. While cycling in the 18th stage of the Tour, Cepeda crashed on the treacherous Col du Galibier (via Dangerous Roads ). A mountain pass high in the Alps, the Col du Galibier is also the highest point of the Tour de France. It was during the descent through the pass that Cepeda crashed. He died on his way to the hospital at the age of 29.

A Tour de France incident highlights the importance of helmets

During the 1967 Tour de France, British cyclist Tom Simpson died during the 13th stage of the Tour (via the Guardian ). While attempting to ascend Mont Ventoux, Simpson collapsed. A mountain trek that takes the course 6,000 ft above ground level, Simpson passed out 2 miles before reaching the summit of the mountain. However, it wasn't just the heat or the tough terrain that killed Simpson. According to Cycling Weekly, his post-mortem examination revealed a combination of amphetamines and alcohol in his system as well.

And lastly, there's Fabio Casartelli. A cyclist hailing from Como, Italy, Casartelli competed in the 1995 Tour de France. While making the descent down Col de Portet d'Aspet, a mountain pass with an elevation of over 3500 ft (1,069 meters) (via Climbfinder ), Casartelli crashed into a concrete pylon (via Los Angeles Times ). Casartelli was reportedly cycling at around 55 mph when he missed a turn and crashed. While his exact cause of death is controversial, it's believed the point of impact was the top of his skull (via Helmets.org ). This suggests that if Casartelli was wearing a helmet, which was not mandatory during the Tour de France at this time, it's possible he may have survived the crash, although experts believe that the rate of speed may have negated any benefit a helmet would have had.

How Much Do Tour de France Riders Make?

Here's how much are the jaw-dropping efforts of the 2023 Tour de France athletes are actually worth.

Before we break down rider payouts, it's important to note how much money was up for grabs: with a total purse prize of $2.8 million, the lion's share goes to the top riders and teams.

Please, show me the money.

The top 20 general classification riders received the highest rewards. The overall winner and yellow jersey for the second year in a row, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma), earned $540,000.

Second-place GC rider Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) earned around $200,000, while his teammate and third-place GC finisher Adam Yates earned about $100,000.

Tour riders who finish between 21st and 160th place receive €1,000 (around $1,097).

In addition to the GC win, stage winners earn a separate payout. The first rider to cross the finish line for each stage earns about $12,000. Payouts decrease incrementally, with the 20th-place finisher making around $329.

Riders lucky enough to earn a color-specific jersey get an additional payout. Green (sprinter's) jersey winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck), aka "Jasper the Master," and the polka dot (King of the Mountain) jersey winner Giulio Ciccone (Lidl–Trek) both took home $27,000. Payouts extend to second and third-place contenders, with each earning almost $16,000 and $10,900, respectively.

Contenders under age 25 are eligible to win the white jersey. Pogačar wore the white jersey for a historic fourth time during the 110th Tour. His payout was approximately $22,000. With the top four young riders compensated, the fourth-place rider earns roughly $5,400.

Additionally, riders known for attacking the peloton can earn the distinction of "most aggressive rider," which comes with the red jersey and a $21,900 payout.

Finally, the top three teams of the Tour get a piece of the pie. This year, Jumbo-Visma took top honors earning over $50,000. The UAE Team Emirates squad finished second with about $30,000, and Ineos Grenadiers finished third and collected almost $22,000.

Taneika is a Jamaica native, a runner and a gravel cyclist who resides in Virginia. Passionate about cycling, she aims to get more people, of all abilities, to ride the less beaten path. 

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} Tour de France

2024 Tour de France May Start Using Drones

The 2024 Tour de France Can’t Miss Stages

Riders Weigh In on the Tour de France Routes

2024 Tour de France Femmes Can't-Miss Stages

How Much Money Do Top Tour de France Teams Make?

2024 Tour de France/ Tour de France Femmes Routes

How Much Did Tour de France Femmes Riders Earn?

5 Takeaways from the Tour de France Femmes

Who Won the 2023 Tour de France Femmes?

Results From the 2023 Tour de France Femmes

Previewing Stage 8: 2023 Tour de France Femmes