Sunday, July 7, 2024 at 10:30 AM
The day following the death of Norwegian rider André Drege, the final stage of the Tour of Austria will not take place. At the request of the relatives and Drege’s team, a tribute will take place.
The day following André Drege’s fatal fall on the descent of the Großglockner, the Tour of Austria organization decided that there would be no racing today from Kufstein to Kühtai.
The riders will meet in Kufstein today at 10:15. At 11:00, the peloton will first observe a minute’s silence in memory of Drege, before completing a neutralized loop in Kufstein in honor of the 25-year-old Norwegian. The riders and teams will then travel by car and team bus to Tufles, where a condolence procession will be held all the way to Igles.
Memorial ride
Thomas Pupp, the race director, did not make this decision alone: ”Together with the team managers and riders, we decided not to ride today’s stage and instead to hold a neutralized stage in memory of André Drege. The memorial stage was the express wish of André’s father, André’s teammates and his entire team.”
“We give the entire cycling family the opportunity to process what happened together and to remember André Drege. Our entire organizing team is shocked by this tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to André’s family members and his Coop-Repsol team, in these difficult times.”
Filippo Ganna crossed the finish line first in the Tour of Austria on Saturday, but in retrospect it was a stage that no longer mattered. The penultimate stage was overshadowed by the death of André Drege. The Coop-Repsol rider was in the leading group of the day in the Tour of Austria and came over the highest climb of the day, the Hochtor, with a lead.
However, Drege fell on the descent of the famous climb of the Großglockner and suffered fatal injuries. Medical help might not save the 25-year-old rider’s life. On social media, many professional teams and organizations share their condolences and sympathy with Drege’s relatives and with his colleagues within the Coop-Repsol team.
