A whole cycling world remembers the Norwegian professional cyclist André Drege (25), who died on Saturday under Austria after an accident. The organizer of Austria around states that the last stage of the race has been canceled following the death of André Drege on Saturday. Instead of discontinuing the fifth and final stage, a memorial race will be held for the Norwegian. Before the start, a minute’s silence was held. There is a clear impression of Thomas Pupp who was on stage on Sunday. He is the riding leader for Austria around. – We are so deeply shocked. I’m not just standing here as a rider. I stand here more like a father of three sons, he says, choking back tears and adds: – I can imagine how heartbreaking this is for the family. – I knew him a little, and he was a very good man. This is absolutely terrible news. That’s what Alexander Kristoff told the press shortly after he received the news of his death after Saturday’s stage in the Tour de France. André Drege was 25 years old. – The family wants peace in this difficult time, says manager of Coop-Repsol Roy Hegreberg to news. Hegreberg informs news that the next of kin have been informed. – We are devastated. It is unbelievably sad. What should not happen has happened. Our thoughts go out to family and teammates and friends. We want our riders to have peace of mind. This is an extreme situation for us as a team. For the riders who have lost a wonderful friend. We are a group of friends on a trip. André was our captain, says Hegreberg. In the finish area, Drege’s teammates, supervisors and several competitors were said to have dissolved in tears, according to Salzburg 24. The Stranda cyclist rode for Team Coop-Repsol, and he has been associated with the team since 2022. He previously rode for Lillehammer CK. – We are devastated by the tragic passing of André Drege, writes Coop-Repsol on X. André Drege during the cycling NM in 2021. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB Investigated by the police It was during the fourth stage of the race in Austria that Drege lost control when he drove down an incline. The sequence of events is unclear. According to the newspaper Kronen Zeitung, the 25-year-old rider must have fallen on the descent from Grossglockner to Heiligenblut. He died from his injuries. According to the newspaper, the police have launched an investigation into the death. – It seems that such things are happening more and more often, said Kristoff after finishing the Tour de France. – It is too early to say whether the organizer could have taken safety measures that could have prevented this type of accident, says news expert Sondre Gjerdevik Sørtveit, who is affected after receiving the message: – People react with shock and disbelief to such a message. The Norwegian cycling community is relatively small. Everyone knows everyone, at least those who do this at the top level. It is absolutely terrible, he says. Alexander Kristoff and the other Norwegian riders received the tragic news with shock and disbelief. Here he is from earlier in the Tour de France. Photo: JASPER JACOBS / AFP – In shock – I have to say that I’m a bit in shock right now. It’s hard to digest what has happened. It’s really sad to hear this, says Tour de France leader Tadej Pogacar to TV 2. Photo: Screenshot Instagram The Norwegian cyclist Tobias Halland Johannessen, who rides the Tour de France for Uno X, has also received the bad news. – Totally pointless and unbelievably sad, he writes in an Instagram story. – My thoughts and prayers are with André’s family and loved ones, writes Remco Evenepoel on X. Several of the professional teams have made statements of support. – We have everyone in Team Coop and André Drege’s loved ones in our thoughts after this terrible accident in Austria. Big hugs from everyone here, writes Team Movistar. – A loss that is felt throughout the cycling community. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and teammates, writes the cycling team EF. – We are devastated after being informed of the death of André Drege in Austria around today. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone in Team Coop at this incredibly sad time, Premier Tech writes on his X account. The cycling team Uno X has also come with their support markings on X. – It is with great sadness that we at Uno X have received the news of André Drege’s tragic death on the 4th stage of the Tour of Austria. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to André’s family, friends, others close to him and all his colleagues in Team Coop-Repsol. The organizer of the Austrian cycling race has communicated about the death and offered his condolences to his family and loved ones: Photo: Skjermdump / Instagram Probably traveling to Austria The Norwegian Cycling Association will probably send more people down to Austria to assist and follow up the riders closely in the future. This is what the president of the Norwegian Cycling Association, Heidi Stenbock-Haakestad, says. – Then we have to find out what need they have for crisis assistance, says Stenbock-Haakestad. The president of the Norwegian Cycling Association Heidi Stenbock-Haakestad is saddened after a Norwegian cyclist died during a race in Austria. Photo: Rahand Bazaz / news Drege had a brilliant season and was initially ready for the professional team Team Jayco Alula. – He was very good at asking. A versatile, strong rider with a good finish which saw him take many victories. He had a fantastic development, especially in the last year, says news’s cycling expert Sørtveit. – Deeply tragic The mayor of Stranda municipality, Einar Arve Nordang, says the news about the cyclist’s death is absolutely terrible: – This is very tragic. He was at the start of a great career. Just got a professional contract, that it should go like this is deeply tragic. He says the municipality will now follow up those left behind in Stranda. – I know the closest people, the family. So our thoughts go out to them, of course, in this tragic time. Mayor of Stranda Einar Arve Nordang says that the news of the cyclist’s death is absolutely terrible. Photo: Vidar Gudvangen / news Published 06.07.2024, at 18.20 Updated 07.07.2024, at 11.41
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