Gino Mäder's mother talks about fatal Tour de Suisse day: "I believe it was just his fate to die that day"

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.”

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."