Gino Mader after winning the 2021 Giro d'Italia. Credit: Getty Images/Luca Bettini
Cycling faces challenges over the inclusion of «dangerous» downhill runs in the final kilometers of races following the tragic death of Gino Madera.
A Swiss cyclist who raced for winning Bahrain died of injuries after a horrific fall into a gorge during Stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse on Thursday.
On Friday, all cyclists paid tribute to the popular 26-year-old rider, and the sixth stage of the race was canceled out of respect.
According to the organizers of the race, Mader was «resuscitated» after an accident that occurred after a high-speed collision with American rider Magnus Sheffield of the Ineos Grenadiers on the final downhill after a nearly 200 km race.
A racing doctor arrived at the scene «within two minutes» and Mader was airlifted to a hospital in Chur. But on Friday morning, his team announced that the treatment had not worked.
“Gino was an outstanding athlete, an example of determination, a valued member of our team and the entire cycling community,” Bahrain Victorious said in a statement. «His talent, dedication and passion for the sport inspired us all.»
World champion Remco Evenepoel and Adam Hansen, an Australian Grand Tour veteran who is now president of the CPA, are among those questioning the «dangerous» finish from the Albula Pass to La Punta just after the stage. Stage winner Juan Ayuso accelerated to over 100 km/h.
Motorcycle accident in Switzerland is a tragedy for the Tour de Suisse
«I don't think anyone was happy today,» Evenepoel said in a post-race interview with Cycling Pro Net. “Now the track ends with a dangerous descent, and there have also been accidents. It would be better to finish at the top.”
“It was not very wise to finish at this stage after the descent. But you obviously still need more spectacle. It just has to happen for you to react.”
The Belgian also said riders should also be held accountable for the risks they take. “It was not the right decision to let us finish this dangerous downhill,” Evenepoel tweeted on Thursday evening. “As cyclists, we also have to think about the risks we take when we go down a mountain.”
In the meantime, Hansen released the results of a poll earlier this year asking riders how close to the finish line they felt comfortable with the organizers, including what he called a «technical downhill». Of the 171 respondents, 64.7% stated that such descents should not be less than 3 km from the finish line, and 29.4% — at least 5 km from the finish line. Ten riders said they didn't like the technical descents of the last 10km.
The Australian deleted his tweet on Friday morning after the news of Mader's death. But both his comments and Evenepul's have sparked fierce controversy on social media.
Mader's comrades are upset and shocked by the news of his death. Photo: Getty Images/Dario Belingheri de Suisse honored the memory of Gino Madera with a minute of silence. Photo: Shutterstock/Gian Ehrenzeller. . But he said that including such descents in the last 10 km of the race was «looking for trouble» with riders who were doomed to take risks.
“The descent is not dangerous, the roads are good, there are no tunnels, the turns are perfectly visible,” Geschke tweeted in response to the world champion. “However, I agree that in the last 10 km of the race you are looking for problems. But riders take risks, and not just downhill.”
'Thank you for all the light you brought to the world, Gino.'
Trip in memory of Gino Madera, Bahrain The winner led the peloton to the finish line . pic.twitter.com/T9z3dlmvof
— Eurosport (@eurosport) June 16, 2023
Some fans in the thread under Hansen's tweet disagreed with the wording of his poll. Others said the sample size was not large enough. And still others questioned why riders could not be said to be comfortable with a fast downhill finish, pointing out that the removal of «technical» downhill runs in the final kilometers could threaten classic races such as Milan-San Remo. Several fans noted that the La Punt slope has been used many times before without such devastating effects.
Former professional Robbie Hunter accused Hansen of «confusing» messages. «Sorry, but Adam, let's not confuse people here,» wrote the South African. “You claim that riders do not want a dangerous finish before the finish line. I assume you mean dangerous descent. But to be clear, your question to the riders was not «DANGEROUS». It says «technical». But could you tell me what is meant by «technical»?
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Hansen responded to many comments stating that the purpose of the survey was to collect «sample» data with the intention of concretizing the results and eventually submit a «rulebook» to UCI cycling's governing body and race organisers.
«These types of finishes have worried riders,» Hansen tweeted. “So I looked into this at the beginning of the year and no rider wanted a dangerous finish [descent] straight to the finish line and having at least 3km of flat before that.
“My goal in all this work is to provide a set of rules for the UCI and the organizers to understand what riders are capable of in a safe manner for greater safety. Unfortunately, my work is not fast enough. But we'll get there. Nearly complete submission of the first draft of what the riders requested for review.”
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