Ineos Grenadiers rider Magnus Sheffield has opened up for the first time after witnessing the aftermath of Gino Mäder’s fatal crash at last June’s Tour de Suisse.
The American crashed on the same descent as Mäder, who tragically died from his injuries, aged 26.
Eight months on, in a candid blog post reflecting on that day, Sheffield said it reminded him of “how fragile life can be”, adding that he feels “incredibly lucky to be alive”.
“I remember just about everything of the day,” the 22-year-old wrote. “From waking up in my bed in the morning of the stage, up until around after being wheeled from the operating room in the hospital.
“As a result of the crash, I was heavily concussed and experienced a window of what felt like unconsciousness. At that moment when I sat on the mountain side there were helicopters flying above ringing in my ears while I looked out on one of the most beautiful landscapes, as I saw riders and the race convoy passing down the Albula pass.
“I was confused seeing medical staff around a rider that I could only recognize the team jersey of at the time, because I knew that I had crashed alone. Later on, after being transported from the scene, I was told Gino had been taken to a nearby hospital.
“Unfortunately, I had only raced with Gino a few times in our careers. I’ve been told he was an incredible person, and my thoughts remain with his family and friends.”
Sheffield spent almost three months off the bike following the crash, when he travelled home to the US to spend time with his family. He missed the Tour de France, which he was due to race for the first time, and returned at the Tour of Britain in September.
“The crash reminded me of how fragile life can be,” he wrote. “I feel incredibly lucky to be alive, to be able to walk, and even more fortunate to continue racing professionally. This season or even at the start of the Tour of Britain in 2023 when I came back, I felt I had begun a new chapter in my career and in life.”
“Many people questioned if I would continue: how did the crash and what followed affect me? Would I still want to race or ride a bike? Would I still be the same rider?
“During my time at home, I looked through many pictures and memories from when I began riding, which helped me think about what I want to achieve in my career. I felt an immense appreciation for all the kind messages from people in the cycling world but also many outside of it that I have never met.”
He added that he now has a “deep feeling of wanting to win again”, and hopes to target a WorldTour stage race this season.
