Final stage of Tour of Austria cancelled after tragic passing of Andre Drege and replaced with a condolence ride
Cycling
The tragic death of Andre Drege (25) shocked the cycling world. The promising Norwegian cyclist suffered fatal injuries in a downhill from Grossglockner. Understandably so, the final stage of Tour of Austria won't be contested.
"The final stage of the 73rd Tour of Austria will not be contested due to the tragic death on the Glockner stage. The Tourtross and the entire cycling world are in shock. At the wish of André Drege's family and team, there will be a condolence ride to the Patscherkofel," is the statement from race organisation.
"Together with the sporting directors and riders of the teams, we have decided not to ride today's stage and instead to hold a neutralised condolence ride in memory of André Drege. The memorial ride was the express wish of André's father, his team-mates and his entire team. It gives the entire cycling family the opportunity to come to terms with what happened and to honour André Drege's memory. Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident and our thoughts and prayers are with André's family, his loved ones and his team Coop-Repsol at this incredibly difficult time," says Tour Director Thomas Pupp.
Riders will hold a minute of silence for Dregé at the original start in Kufstein followed by a short neutralized start. Riders will then drive in their team vehicles to Tulfes (planned mountain prize), where riders will complete a short condolence ride to the Patscherkofel.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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Understandably, the final stage of the Tour of Austria will not be contested today after the tragic passing of André Drege yesterday. Official statement from the race:
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