UAE Team Emirates rider Juan Ayuso paid tribute to Gino Mader after winning Sunday's final Tour de Suisse stage and finishing second in the general classification.
The Spaniard admitted to having mixed feelings following his victory in the time-trial and finishing the event nine seconds behind overall race winner Mattias Skjelmose.
Organisers had decided to finish the race despite the death on Friday of Mader, who failed to recover from the injuries he sustained after a horrific crash the previous day.
The 26-year-old's Bahrain Victorious team announced on Saturday that they had withdrawn from the race along with the Tudor Pro Cycling and Intermarche teams.
Organisers had consulted both the teams and the rider's family before deciding to finish the race.
Skjelmose of Trek-Segafredo embarked on the final day's individual time-trial kitted out in the leader's yellow jersey and, although he was beaten on the day by 20-year-old Ayuso, did enough to take the overall title.
“[My feelings are] a bit mixed. Of course, not because I won the stage, it's the second TT win this year so I'm happy that I keep improving in this type of racing style,” said Ayuso.
“The primary goal was to win the GC and I came second so it's a bit of a pity, but Mattias was super strong and we have to just congratulate him.
“Of course, I wanted to get the GC [for] Gino but also the stage – he will be happy for me. Of course, this goes for him. Racing is a bit more on the side.
“You don't feel like celebrating. It's not what comes to you, but I think everybody here gave their best for Gino. Mattias is for sure thinking of him to give the GC for him and I'm happy to win to try to honour his memory.”
The 22-year-old Skelmose. who took the overall lead on Tuesday. dedicated the race win to "Gino".
“Gino is dead, and I think everything combined just made me very emotional. It just needed to come out after the finish line,” said the visibly moved Dane.
“I always race to win and I think even if I had a disadvantage in the skinsuit I proved that my shape is good and that I'm ready for the Tour. I always believed in this.
“It's a lot of big emotions. It's a combination of a lot of sacrifice for me and, of course, Gino is dead, and I think everything combined just made me very emotional. It just needed to come out after the finish line.
“For me, the most important thing was that Gino's parents and family wanted the race to go on and for us to race as normal. That put my mind at rest.”
