"His legacy, his values ​​and his commitment inspire us all" - Luis Angel Mate pays touching tribute after becoming inaugural winner of the Gino Mäder Award

At the 2024 Velo d'Or ceremony, one of the most emotional moments was the inaugural awarding of the Gino Mäder Award, in honour of the Bahrain - Victorious star that tragically passed away at the Tour de Suisse in 2023. 

The first winner of the award ended up being the retiring Spaniard, Luis Angel Mate. After being gifted the trophy by the family of the late-Swiss cyclist, Mate embarked on telling a beautiful anecdote of his and Mader's time spent racing against each other, bringing tears to the entire room with his tribute on stage.

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The idea of the The Gino Mäder Award is to honour cyclists who dedicate themselves to social causes and initiatives, acting as inspiring role models within and beyond their sport. Mäder was well-known for his commitment to making a difference, particularly through his environmental advocacy. His passion for a greener planet will be the guiding inspiration for the award.

"I'm going to tell you a story about Gino Mäder," began the 40-year-old's acceptance speech. "It was the 2021 Vuelta, which finished in Santiago de Compostela. He was a young rider who had a great Vuelta, wearing the white jersey of the best young rider. I was one of the oldest riders in the peloton (laughs). He had set up a wonderful initiative to raise money for environmental associations. I was really touched by that and after the Vuelta, I decided to return home, more than 1000 km away, by bike."

"Before finishing the race, I went to speak to Gino Mäder to tell him that it was a real inspiration for me to make this journey, so thank you, Gino Mäder," Mate continued. "I'd like to say here tonight that it's a huge honour to be surrounded by all of you for such a special moment. My greatest respect, admiration and gratitude go to Gino Mäder's parents. His legacy, his values and his commitment inspire us all to become better people."

As mentioned, Mate's own professional career officially comes to an end on December 31st, when his Euskaltel - Euskadi contract expires. In becoming the first awardee of the Gino Mäder Award though, his legacy is affirmed even further than it already was.

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