Norwegian cyclist Andre Drege dies in crash at Tour of Austria

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — Norwegian cyclist Andre Drege has died after a crash during the Tour of Austria, his team, race organizers and the International Cycling Union said on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Team Coop-Repsol rider crashed in a downhill and suffered fatal injuries, race organizers said.

“Andre crashed and sustained severe injuries,” race organizers said in a statement on social media. “Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident.”

According to race organizers, the rider from the Coop Repsol team crashed on the descent from the Grossglockner mountain. Details about the accident have yet to emerge.

“The UCI is devastated to learn of the death of professional cyclist Andre Drege at the Tour of Austria,” the UCI said on X. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates.”

The penultimate stage from St. Johann over the Grossglockner to Kals in East Tyrol was won by Italian Filippo Ganna. The victory ceremony was canceled.

It was unsure whether Sunday’s final stage will take place.

Tributes from teams competing at the Tour de France poured in after the news of Drege’s death reached cycling’s biggest race.

“It’s hard to process what happened, we are all quite in shock,” Tour de France leader Tadej Pogacar said. “This is very sad to hear. My condolences go to his family, teammates and all his loved ones. In the cycling world, we need to take care of each other.”

Drege is the latest pro rider to die in competition after Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder last year at the Tour de Suisse.

Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt was killed in a crash on a descent at the Giro d’Italia in May 2011. Another Belgian rider, Antoine Demoitié, died after crashing at the one-day Gent-Wevelgem race in March 2016.

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