The Swiss professional cyclist Gino Mäder falls badly on his home tour and succumbs to his injuries. What remains is great dismay – and probing questions about more security, which are already being asked in the midst of the grief.
When the professional cyclists set out on the sixth stage of this Tour de Suisse on Friday, there was something surreal about the scenery. The peloton had dutifully lined up, the television helicopters rattled over the field of riders, the engines of the escort motorcycles hummed to themselves. Applause and even cheering erupted from the side of the road, and an official looked out of the race director’s car, which was stretched out in front of the field. He held a trowel or a flag in his hand as if about to start the race, the usual full-throttle spectacle.