The Tour of Austria will continue on Sunday despite the death of André Drege. However, the final stage in Tyrol will be shortened and neutralized as a memorial ride.
As a result, the overall victory of the Italian Diego Ulissi is certain.
Originally, the fifth stage should have ended on Sunday after 144 km at Kühtai at 2000 meters above sea level. However, the stage will now be contested as a joint memorial ride in memory of Drege, who died at the age of 25. This was decided by the Tour organization in consultation with all teams and the relatives of the Norwegian who died in the accident and announced on Sunday morning in the rainy stage start town of Kufstein.
"Together with the sporting directors and riders of the teams, we decided not to ride the stage and instead to hold a neutralized condolence ride in memory of André Drege. The memorial ride was the express wish of André's father, his teammates and his entire team. It gives the entire cycling family the opportunity to come to terms with what happened and to remember André Drege," said Tour Director Thomas Pupp.
André Drege crashed on Saturday during the queen stage on the descent from Grossglockner to Heiligenblut and succumbed to his injuries. No new information about the cause of the accident was initially available on Sunday.
SDA