Michael Rasmussen gives dire warning after the death of Gino Mäder

Michael Rasmussen, one of the best climbers in the peloton 20 years ago, says that the tragedy that cycling experienced on Thursday, could very well happen again.

Many in the cycling world said that having a finish just five or 10 km after a descent increased the risk to riders. Rasmussen says it doesn’t matter where the finish line is, riders will still do whatever it takes to get ahead.

Risks on a descent are normal for WorldTour riders

“The riders will still ride just as fast to gain 20 seconds at the bottom of the hill. It makes no sense,” he said in an article on Danish outlet, Ekstra Bladet. “It’s just the damn nature of cycling that there’s a gigantic risk associated with a descent.

The former Danish pro, whose nickname was “the chicken,” knows a thing or two about climbs. Sure, his career was tarnished with doping, but he still rode very fast uphill, and very fast down them. As a former mountain bike racer, his descending skills were exceptional. But that doesn’t mean that even the best riders can make a mistake and overcook a corner.

The Tour de France rider knows the roads

Rasmuseen knows the roads where Mäder crashed. He rode the same descent to La Punt during the Tour de Suisse in 2006.

“I was in a break and far ahead, but my team car never reached me to give me clothing, so I was frozen. I ended up getting caught by a bunch of riders,” he said. “My point is that if I had been 20 seconds ahead at the top-or 20 seconds behind-I would have ridden just like Juan Ayuso and Gino Mäder and all the others who were going at 100 km/h.”

Three teams, including Bahrain-Victorious have left Tour de Suisse after Gino Mäder’s death

That is why the four-time Tour de France stage winner worries, there may be more tragedies in cycling in the future. “Unfortunately, I think, noo, I am quite sure that it will happen again. And maybe even more frequent than before, because the bikes keep getting faster,” Rasmussen says. “It’s the riders’ willingness to take risks that determines that.”

The 49-year-old, as a former cyclist, completely understands how horrible it must have been for the peloton to ride the 20 km neutralized stage that was ridden in honour of the Swiss rider.
“The reaction from the field is absolutely correct. For all of the riders, everyone has felt a sinking feeling in their stomach,” he said. “They raced down the descent and saw paramedics and helicopters on the mountain.”

Rasmussen warns that despite the difficulty of the situation, it’s scary to think that the same tragedy could easily occur again.

“Everyone is deeply, deeply affected by it,” he said. “And it takes some time to shake off. But it’s going to happen again. Because in a very short time, the riders will be riding just as fast and with just as much risk again.”