Tour de France organizer removes No. 61 in tribute to Gino Mäder, increases safety measures
Following the death of the Swiss rider, ASO is taking precautions on some descents
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Tour de France @LeTour
In a tribute to the late Gino Mäder, the Tour de France organizers have decided not to assign the number 61 bib. Instead, Mäder’s fellow riders from Bahrain-Victorious will honor him by wearing bib numbers ranging from 62 to 69.
The tragedy at the Tour de Suisse remains on many cyclist’s minds
Mäder died in a crash during a high-speed descent in Stage 5 of the recent Tour de Suisse. He was immediately hospitalized but could not be saved, and news of his death was announced just before Stage 6. The subsequent stage was not focused on competition but served as a memorial for the 26-year-old.
Michael Rasmussen gives dire warning after the death of Gino Mäder
The riders embarked on a neutralized ride into Oberwil-Lieli. Emotions ran high throughout the stage, with several cyclists overwhelmed by grief as they remembered their departed peer. Bahrain-Victorious riders paid their respects by wearing black patches on their sleeves and concluded the day, cycling side by side at the front of the peloton.
❤ During the #TDF2023, @BHRVictorious will ride with bibs 62 to 69. Bib 61 will not be used this year in honour of Gino.
❤ Pendant le #TDF2023, l'équipe @BHRVictorious portera les dossards 62 à 69. Le 61 sera retiré cette année en hommage à Gino Mäder. pic.twitter.com/vtCvMYMvcN
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 29, 2023
The following day, Bahrain-Victorious, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, Tudor Pro Cycling, and riders from other teams decided to withdraw from the race.
Mäder was honoured during the Tour de France team presentation on Thursday, with a minute of silence observed when the Bahrain-Victorious team took the stage.
Safety measures discussed at the Tour de France
The death of the Swiss rider continues to cast a shadow over the cyclists and organizers, and it remains a topic of discussion leading into the 2023 Tour de France. Adam Hansen, the president of the rider’s union, Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA), recently expressed his efforts to enhance safety measures for riders on Twitter. Concerns were raised by riders regarding the long descents in Stages 14 and 17. According to Hansen, the ASO has confirmed significant safety measures for the upcoming stages’ descents. These measures include resurfacing certain descents with new asphalt and placing audio warning signs before corners to alert riders. Additionally, padding will be installed on barriers around hazardous turns.
Fabian Cancellara posted a beautiful, and heartbreaking tribute to the late Gino Mäder
Another suggestion to prevent cyclists from going over the edge of descents is the use of netting. Jonathan Vaughters, from the EF Education Easy Post team, mentioned in an interview with The Guardian that this additional measure could help prevent serious injuries to cyclists. “In the rare situation in which somebody goes over the edge, having a small amount of netting there could save lives,” he said. “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.”
The Tour de France begins Saturday in Bilbao, Spain.
