Two entire teams, as well as several individual cyclists, withdrew from the 2023 Tour de Suisse on Saturday, following the death of Swiss rider Gino Mäder. 

Mäder, who rode for Team Bahrain Victorious, fell into a ravine in the downhill finale of Thursday's fifth stage. He died from his injuries on Friday. He was 26.

Mäder's team immediately pulled out, and they were joined Saturday by Swiss outfit Tudor and Belgian rival Intermarche prior to the seventh stage.

In all, 36 riders did not take part in the stage -- an 184-kilometer ride from Tubach to Weinfelden -- and those who did, observed a minute's silence.

A dove was released as a further moving tribute.

The withdrawals came despite organizers saying they had decided to proceed with the remainder of the race after consulting the teams and the rider's family.

Tudor, though, tweeted it could not carry on.

"After careful consideration and talking to both riders and staff, the team decided not to continue racing this year's Tour de Suisse," Tudor tweeted.

"Under these difficult circumstances, we feel it is the human way to respect the feelings of our riders and pay respect to Gino," it added.

Intermarche followed suit.

"After consultations with our riders and staff, we have decided to withdraw from the Tour of Switzerland," Intermarche posted on social media. "Our priority is to respect the mental health of our riders."

Following the news of his death, the cyclists took part in a 20-kilometer ride in his honor to replace the sixth stage.

Organizers decided against canceling the tour altogether.

However, they said that Saturday's stage would be raced normally, though the overall standings were to be frozen 25 kilometers from the finishing line.

- 'Really tough' -

"We respect the decision of each team and the individual riders, which aligns with what we had predicted," organizers told AFP. "There will be a race over the original planned route, but the times for the overall standings will be taken at the 25 kilometers to the finish mark (prior to the final climb of the stage)."

World road race champion Remco Evenepoel said those racing Saturday were planning more to go through the motions than compete for victory.

"The remaining race favorites agreed to refrain from attacking today," he said. "Today will be really tough for us in the peloton to focus, to start the stage. However, we respect the decision of his family, and his team, to resume the race."

Evenepoel helped organize an unofficially neutralized section amongst the favorites, before he rode away to victory in the finale.

"We decided together it would be appropriate that way," said Evenepoel, who is favorite to win the race, which culminates Sunday with a 26-kilometer individual time trial.

Mäder's death sparked many tributes led by two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar, who posted on Instagram: "Rest in peace (heart emoji) I will miss you."

Pogacar's fellow Slovenian and recently crowned Giro d'Italia winner, Primoz Roglic, tweeted: "Speechless."