2023-07-02 14:16:11
It’s a nice tradition that continues. After the tragic death of his teammate, Gino Mäder, victim of a fatal fall on the Tour de Suisse on June 16, Pello Bilbao has decided to pay tribute to him in his own way on the Grande Boucle. On his Twitter account, the rider from Bahrain Victorious announced before the start of the Tour de France that he was going to resume his friend’s habit, by donating one euro to an association for each rider ranked behind him during all the stages of the Round.
Indeed, Gino Mäder had this idea during the Vuelta 2021, by opening a kitty for Justdiggit, which had a reforestation project in Africa. And by finishing fifth in the Tour of Spain, the 26-year-old rider collected 4,529 euros for the association. He even added 10 euros per rider, who finished behind him in the general classification.
Following in Gino’s footsteps and carrying on his legacy, during this @letourdefrance I will donate €1 to the @basoaksos association for each runner who classifies after me in each stage. The goal is to buy deforested land and replant it with local species. pic.twitter.com/bBtWNDZkRV
— Pello Bilbao (@PelloBilbao1990) June 30, 2023
“I follow in Gino’s footsteps and I will pass on his legacy during this Tour de France,” Pello Bilbao announced in a video. The money will go to Basoaksos, which fights to preserve the environment. This loot will allow the association “to buy deforested land and replant local species”, he explained. During the first stage of the Tour, the Basque rider finished 40th out of 175. He has therefore already raised the prize pool to 135 euros.
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