Police investigate
Professional cyclist killed in an accident at the Tour of Austria
There has been a serious accident at the Tour of Austria. The Norwegian professional cyclist Andre Drege was killed in the accident. The drama occurred during the descent from the Grossglockner.
The Tour of Austria was hit hard on Saturday by the death of Norwegian professional André Drege. It is questionable whether the final stage from Kufstein to Kühtai will be started on Sunday. The 25-year-old Drege from the Coop Repsol team crashed on the descent from the Grossglockner to Heiligenblut and succumbed to his injuries. Details of the course of the accident - Drege was part of the breakaway group and was rescued by a rescue helicopter - were not yet available.
Investigation initiated
The police have launched an investigation. Riders who were in a high-speed passage nearby at the time of the accident are being questioned. The accident victim's bike is also to be examined. According to the general tenor, the continuation was uncertain, especially as several of the riders knew Drege personally and are unlikely to be able to continue. The announcement about the possible continuation is to be made on Sunday morning after a meeting of the Tour entourage in Kufstein.
At the stage finish in Kals, the badly affected Tour director Thomas Pupp did not want to comment on details beyond a written statement when asked by APA on the darkest day in the history of the tour. "The Tour of Austria mourns the loss of André Drege. (...). The organizers of the Tour of Austria and the race management immediately informed the relatives. After the stage there was a meeting with all 20 team bosses and the UCI. It was unanimously decided that André's family and his team - all riders and support staff - together with the organization will make the decision about the final stage planned for tomorrow," the Tour announced.
Not the first death
Drege is the next professional to die in a race after Gino Mäder at the Tour de Suisse in June 2023. The Swiss rider crashed on the descent from the Albula Pass and died the next day in hospital. Five weeks later, a 17-year-old Italian also died on a descent in the Tour of Upper Austria. The junior race was then abandoned. However, the Tour de Suisse continued after Mäder's death following consultation with his family.
The sporting events of the royal stage from St. Johann to Kals were completely overshadowed by the tragic events. The award ceremony was canceled after the accident became known. Drege's teammates, his coaches and many of the other teams were in tears. Nobody wanted to comment on the accident. Drege had already celebrated seven victories in smaller tours this year. According to unconfirmed reports, he was about to switch to the World Tour team Jayco.
The stage win in East Tyrol was secured by two-time time trial world champion Filippo Ganna. The best Austrian was once again Felix Großschartner in ninth place. The 30-year-old is still fourth in the overall standings, just eleven seconds behind. His UAE team colleague Diego Ulissi leads the standings.
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