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CYCLING

Cancellara wins third Paris-Roubaix race

Switzerland's Fabian Cancelllara on Sunday won the prestigious Paris-Roubaix Spring Classic cycling race for the third time.

Published: 7 April 2013 19:46 CEST
Cancellara wins third Paris-Roubaix race
Swiss cycling ace Fabian Cencellara lies on grass after winning Paris-Roubaix race. Photo: AFP

The RadioShack team member, a winner of the event in 2006 and 2010, took the gruelling 254-kilometre "Queen of the Classics" race in a sprint climax ahead of Belgian Sep Vanmarcke.

"At the end it was like roulette," reflected Cancellera on the dash for the line which he claimed by the length of a bike.

The 32-year-old justified his status among the favourites for this 111th edition of the French race.

The top two surged clear from Belgian Stijn Vandenbergh and Czech rider Zdanek Stybar, hampered by spectators, in the 'Carrefour de l'Arbre' section of the race.

In third, half a minute behind, came Dutch champion Niki Terpstra, who edged in clear of Belgian Greg Van Avermaet and France's Damien Gaudin.

Cancellera was following up his win in last Sunday's Tour of Flanders.

The 2008 Olympic time trial champion moved up to within one win of the Roubaix win record held jointly by Belgian duo Roger De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen, the latter missing from Sunday's renewal after his fall last weekend.

"I've never known a race as hard as this one today," Cancellera added after taking time to get his breath back.

"A couple of times I thought it was over then I said to myself 'Roubaix is never finished, the battle never ends'," he said

"Everything was against us, against our team," Cancellera said.

"I don't know how I managed to do it," he said.

"I gave everything I could, now I've only got one thing on my mind — a holiday!"

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CYCLING

Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Swiss rider Gino Maeder has died from the injuries he sustained when he plunged into a ravine during a stage of the Tour of Switzerland, his team Bahrain-Victorious said on Friday.

Published: 16 June 2023 12:54 CEST
Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Maeder, 26, fell during a high-speed descent on the fifth stage between Fiesch and La Punt on Thursday, after an exhausting day marked by three ascents over 2,000 metres altitude.

He had been found “lifeless in the water” of a ravine below the road, “immediately resuscitated then transported to the hospital in Chur by air”, organisers said.

But the next day, “Gino lost his battle to recover from the serious injuries he sustained,” Bahrain-Victorious said in a statement.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we must announce the passing of Gino Mäder,” his team wrote in a statement.

“On Friday June 16th, following a very serious fall during the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his fight to recover from the serious injuries he had suffered. Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

“Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team,” the team said in a statement.

Maeder had enjoyed a strong start to the season, finishing fifth in the Paris-Nice race.

American rider Magnus Sheffield also fell on the same descent from Albula, during the most difficult stage of the race with multiple climbs. The Ineos-Grenadiers rider was hospitalised with “bruises and concussion,” organisers said.

On Thursday, world champion Remco Evenepoel criticised the decision to compete on such a dangerous road.

“While a summit finish would have been perfectly possible, it wasn’t a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent,” the Belgian wrote on Twitter.

“As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain.”

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