A time trial with a length of 25.7 km from St. Spain’s Juan Ayuso won Gallena to Abtwil by eight seconds ahead of world champion Remce Evenepoel from Belgium. Twenty-two-year-old Skjelmose was third, another second back. He claimed the biggest win of his career, nine seconds ahead of Ayus and 45 seconds ahead of Evenepoel.
Twenty-six-year-old Mäder died on Friday in a hospital in Chur from injuries he suffered when he fell into a ravine on the downhill at the end of Thursday’s stage. The organizers therefore canceled Friday’s stage, instead of which the peloton rode only the final 20 kilometers and honored the memory of the deceased cyclist. Also on Saturday, only the last 25 kilometers were raced and Evenepoel dedicated the victory to his late colleague.
Only 110 cyclists completed one of the main stages of the Tour de France. In addition to Mäder’s team Bahrain Victorious, the teams Tudor and Intermarché-Circus-Wanty also withdrew from the race after the tragedy. Czech sprinter Pavel Bittner, who took fourth place in the mass finish of the second stage, finished in 109th place overall.
American cyclist Magnus Sheffield also had an accident in the same place as Mäder on Thursday. Hospitalized with concussion and soft tissue injuries, his team Ineos Grenadiers announced today that he has been discharged home.
The Tour de France starts in less than two weeks on July 1.
Cycle race Around Switzerland (WorldTour) – 8th stage (time trial 25.7 km): 1. Ayuso (Sp./SAE Team Emirates) 32:252. Evenepoel (Belg./Soudal-Quick-Step) -83. Skjelmose (Danish/Trek-Segafredo) -94. Bissegger (Switzerland/EF Education-EasyPost) -235. Van Aert (Belg./Jumbo-Visma) -286. Asgreen (Dan./Soudal-Quick-Step) -36…79. BITTNER (ČR/DSM) -2:54. Final ranking: 1. Skjelmose 21:17:192. Ayuso -93. Evenepoel -454. Kelderman (Netherlands/Jumbo-Visma) -2:095. Bardet (Fr./DSM) -2:416. Uranus (Col./EF Education-EasyPost) -2:47…109. BITTNER -1:34:10