Tributes paid to Gino Mäder on what would have been his 27th birthday

The 4th of January should have been a day of celebration for Gino Mäder's 27th birthday. Instead, it's a day mourning a life that was so tragically lost in 2023.

"Happy Birthday Gino! I hope you celebrate your birthday in heaven with a big cake and laugh at how incompetent I was when it came to baking birthday cakes," says the Swiss' mother via an emotional post on her X (Twitter) account. "Miss you so much. In eternal love, Mummy."

Mäder's tragic passing following a crash at the Tour de Suisse sent shockwaves through the cycling community in the summer of 2023.

An immensely talented rider who won a stage at the 2021 Giro d'Italia and finished fifth overall at the 2021 Vuelta a Espana, today should be a day where Mäder's life and career are looked back upon fondly.