The Bahrain Victorious team of Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder, who died Friday after crashing into a ravine, was among three teams to withdraw from the remainder of the Tour de Suisse.
Bahrain Victorious made the announcement on social media Saturday, two days after Mäder crashed during the final descent of Stage 5 before dying at a hospital the following day.
"Following the tragic loss of Gino Mäder, Team Bahrain Victorious has taken the decision to withdraw from Tour de Suisse," the team tweeted.
🇨🇭 #Tourdesuisse
— Team Bahrain Victorious (@BHRVictorious) June 17, 2023
Following the tragic loss of Gino Mäder, Team Bahrain Victorious has taken the decision to withdraw from Tour de Suisse @tds
📸 @SprintCycling pic.twitter.com/J7dQ8fzK5a
Later on Saturday, Tudor Pro Cycling and Intermarche-Circus-Wanty also announced that they would not continue in the race.
"Under these difficult circumstances we feel it is the human way to respect the feelings of our riders and pay respect to Gino," Tudor Pro Cycling tweeted.
Mäder, 26, crashed on the road toward La Punt and fell into a ravine where he was found unresponsive by the race doctor and resuscitated before being airlifted to the hospital. A second cyclist, American Magnus Sheffield, crashed near the same spot and was taken to the hospital with a concussion and bruises.
Stage 6 of the eight-day race was canceled Friday, with riders, including those from Bahrain Victorious, completing a shortened route together as a mark of respect for Mäder.
Mäder had joined the Bahrain Victorious team in 2021 and won a stage of the Giro d'Italia that year. He also won the young rider classification at the 2021 Vuelta a España.
Reuters contributed to this report.
