The tragic story of Gino Mäder, cycling's next big star

On 13 March 2021, the cycling world witnessed the birth of the phenomenon Gino Mäder. After a breakaway of 13 riders on stage 7 of Paris-Nice, the Swiss rider from Bahrain Victorious was the only survivor and seemed on his way to victory.

With the finish line in sight, Mäder gave everything he had. He came close to victory, but with 50 metres to go, a rocket named Primož Roglič passed him and dropped him, depriving him of the greatest victory of his young career.

"I was scared I was going to catch a cold, he passed me so quick. In that first moment, honestly, I was very close to crying. I’d said to myself it was my victory," Mäder told Cyclingnews. "Obviously, when you’re in the end with like 20 metres to go and a plane passes you, in the first moment you are absolutely gutted. But in the end I must say it was quite a nice experience to be up front and to play in the finale."

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That day, the public discovered a rider who was particularly engaging, aggressive and courageous, who gave his all on the bike. He may not have won that day, but he won the hearts of thousands of fans.

On 13 May 2021, two months after this second place, Mäder took his revenge. After breaking away on stage six of the Giro d'Italia, he took the lead on his own and claimed his first victory as a professional.

Unfortunately, the 24-year-old rider's Giro came to an end on stage 12, having crashed the day before.

In June 2021, Mäder lined up for the Tour de Suisse, the biggest stage race in his native Switzerland. After keeping a low profile in the first seven stages, he stood out in the last one, taking a prestigious sprint victory over Michael Woods. It was a victory of character that further confirmed his status as a rising star in world cycling.

His great form convinced Bahrain Victorious to include him in the Vuelta a España. A consistent rider, the Swiss showed another side of himself: patient and diligent and knowing how to manage his efforts. He won that year's Youth classification ahead of Egan Bernal and finished fifth overall, according to Pro Cycling Stats.

In 2022, he took part in the Tour de Romandie after a slow start to the season. Against all the odds, he produced an excellent time trial and finished second in the GC, 50 seconds behind the winner Aleksandr Vlasov, according to Eurosport.

The rest of the Swiss rider's season was hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. He was forced to miss the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France, and finished twentieth in the Vuelta GC, lacking form.

On 15 June 2023, while taking part in the Tour de Suisse, Mäder suffered a crash during the 5th stage, on the descent of the Albula Pass. He was found unconscious in the water, according to French newspaper L'Équipe, and was resuscitated on the spot before being airlifted to Chur hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.

The peloton paid tribute to the Swiss rider. "It is with great sadness that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) learned of the tragic passing of Swiss professional cyclist Gino Mäder," the International Cycling Union (UCI) wrote on its website. "The cycling community has today lost a promising young rider who was destined to be part of important chapters of our sport."

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