“Gino was a friend” - Simon Pellaud remembers Gino Mäder ahead of the Tour de Romandie

Ten months on from the tragic death of Gino Mäder, Simon Pellaud has been remembering his friend, as racing returns to Switzerland this week for the Tour de Romandie. Despite having never raced on the same team together, the two riders were close and Mäder’s passing was particularly tough for Pellaud.

In an interview with Eurosport at the Tour of the Alps, the Tudor Pro Cycling rider said “Gino was a friend, a confidant within the peloton, despite not having shared my childhood with him. He’s someone I was always open with, and he’s left a big mark on my career. He sold me his bike, a high-end Bianchi, when I moved to IAM Excelsior. It was the best bike for someone who wasn’t in a WorldTour team. We had a special relationship I think. And I will always remember that day when I learned what happened”.

On whether he thinks enough is being done to prevent similar accidents in the future, Pellaud went on to say “when we see cycling these days, I have the impression that it hasn’t left enough traces either. The risks that are taken, the current falls, we spend every day very, very close to a tragedy equal to that of Gino”.