Gino Mäder's mother talks about fatal Tour de Suisse day: "I believe it was just his fate to die that day"
Cycling
Gino Mäder was a big figure in the peloton and his death came as a big shock to the cycling world. A high-speed crash off the Albulapass at the Tour de Suisse caused injuries too severe to recover from, and his mother has talked about the situation in a very frank interview.
“I believe it was just his fate to die that day," Gino's mother Sandra told Südkurier, where she revealed that after talking to doctors, the Swiss rider would have no chance to live a quality life after the crash. "It was already clear to me that the only question that would remain would be when to disconnect the machines. The doctor told me that Gino would never be able to talk or walk again, that he would stay in bed forever.”
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There is no footage of the crash but riders reached close to 100 kilometer per hour close to the section where he went down. He fell off a ravine after likely overcooking a corner, as did Magnus Sheffield in a separate moment who was 'lucky' to have escaped only with a concussion. The late Bahrain - Victorious rider was still revived despite the very hard conditions race medical staff had to undergo to reach him, but the consequences of the fall were too severe.
“The scenarios were clear. If there was brain activity, the machines would shut down. In that case, Gino had to be able to breathe on his own, otherwise he would suffocate. Moreover, if he could actually breathe, no one could say whether he would do so for a minute, an hour, a day or ten years."
The race was ran the next day, shortened but in tribute to Gino, at Sanda Mäder's request, who was present on the day. “No one is to blame. Cycling uphill and cycling downhill, that's just part of the race. Anyone who goes to work by car also takes risks. The chance that a rider will have an accident during training is greater than during a race."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Rubbing is racing.
santiagobenites06-11-2026 - Throws an elbow, but crashes afterwards and he's upset.
Front24206-11-2026 - There should be nothing but praise for them: 1. Trying to make things safer, and 2. Trying something "new".acem8206-11-2026
- And a bit of a malcontent on top of it all that doesn’t help.mij06-11-2026
- Hopefully it was just a particularly bad year!Lozza05-11-2026
- He has the Twin combo of being vulnerable to germs and prone to crashes on top of not heeding the complaints from his body. Thats just crash and burn career.abstractengineer05-11-2026
- You can't complete a journey without taking next step. He has to do that or start looking for another job. I hope he can get his act together. It's a make or break next season for him. I wish him well.Cyclingsbestfan05-11-2026
- does anyone really think he is taking a next step?mij05-11-2026
- in the team’s defense, Bernal is 29. when he won his first TdF people were talking about him winning a record # of GTs. Where would they be if that crash had never happened. I’m not saying he would compete with Tadej, but he did podium Strade Bianche, and certainly could have won a GT that Tadej wasn’t in.mij05-11-2026
- "c'mon Jonas!"wrsty05-11-2026
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🇫🇷 #TDF2023 6️⃣1️⃣ Gino 💛 @LeTour 🇨🇭@tds #RideAsOne #rideforGino
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