Pello Bilbao claimed an emotional Tour de France stage victory on Tuesday, in memory of his former teammate Gino Mäder, who died as a result of a crash last month.
Bahrain Victorious rider Bilbao said his poignant victory in the 10th stage of the race was in honor of the Swiss rider but said focusing on cycling had been challenging in the aftermath of the tragic incident in Switzerland.
“It’s been hard, when we left the race in Switzerland, the sports directors and us were so affected,” Bilbao, one of the riders who left the Tour de Suisse early after the accident, told reporters.
“We were offered psychological help, but for me, the best was to go home and stay with my family, with my daughter Martina. She gave me some tranquillity because kids don’t understand these situations and it’s easier to forget all the difficult emotions that we were feeling.
“So I started to feel better on the bike and to believe I had good legs and that I needed to do my best for Gino.”
Mäder died aged 26 following a crash on the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse.
He fell into a ravine after a high-speed collision and was found motionless in the water, before being resuscitated and transported to hospital. He later succumbed to his serious injuries.
Inspired by the memory of his friend, Spaniard Bilbao said he was determined for his team to win a stage at this year’s Tour de France.
The 33-year-old seized his opportunity on Tuesday, choosing the right breakaway group to ride with before timing his sprint finish to perfection. His victory also gave Spain its first stage win since 2018, according to Reuters.
Germany’s Georg Zimmermann and Australia’s Ben O’Connor finished second and third respectively.
“I had to win for Gino. I wanted to wait for the biggest moment to win for him. When I crossed the line, it was an incredible explosion of feelings,” Bilbao, who is retiring at the end of the season, told reporters.
“Usually, I’m quite cold blooded, but today, I was very distracted – there was so much at stake.”
Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard kept the overall lead, but Bilbao’s stage victory saw him move up to fifth place.
After the race, Bilbao’s team tweeted a picture of him on the podium pointing to the sky, with a caption: “For you, Gino!”