Marlen Reusser: It's hard to keep the focus on the sport

Riders in the peloton wear a black ribbon in memory of Gino Mäder prior to start of the Tour de Suisse Women 2023
Riders in the peloton wear a black ribbon in memory of Gino Mäder prior to start of the Tour de Suisse Women 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images)

On the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse Women on Saturday, many riders wore black armbands in memory of Gino Mäder (Bahrain Victorious), who died on June 16 from the injuries sustained in a terrible crash in the Tour de Suisse

Swiss rider Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), who went on to win the stage 2 individual time trial and take the overall lead in the women's race, said that it's been difficult for many riders to focus on the racing.

Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.