Vuelta a España rider vows to donate money to charity for every rider he beats in 2021 edition

Gino Mäder has said that he will donate money to charity for every rider he beats at the 2021 Vuelta a España.

The Swiss rider from Bahrain Victorious posted on Twitter that he will be donating to "environmental organisations" as well as asking fans to suggest which charities they would like him to support. 

Mäder posted the Tweet on Sunday (August 15), saying: "Each rider I beat on every stage equals one euro that I‘ll spend to an environmental organisation. 

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"To decide where the money should go, write in the comments where it‘s best invested! The comment with the most likes at the end of the three weeks get‘s chosen."

He is also adding the amount of riders he beats each day in a tweet thread with the tally coming 282 after the first two stages.  

The 24-year-old, Mäder, added in a reply: "Whatever helps to keep the planet alive!"

Mäder is currently in 21st place in the general classification at the Vuelta, 23 seconds behind race leader Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) after the opening two stages.

It has been a very successful season for Mäder with him just missing out on a stage win at Paris-Nice where he was pipped in the last few metres by Roglič.

He then went to the Giro d'Italia where he won stage six of the race and wore the blue mountains jersey, but had to abandon six stages later.

After that he also took a very impressive stage win in his home race, the Tour de Suisse, as he out-sprinted Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) to the line on the final stage to Andermatt.

Mäder isn't the first rider to do big rides for charity. Lawson Craddock (EF Education-Nippo) raised $238,000 when he finished the 2018 Tour de France after he broke his Scapula on stage one to repair the Alkek velodrome in Austen, Texas.

Another pro who has donated a lot of money is Australian rider Lachlan Morton (EF Education-Nippo) where he rode the Tour de France solo with no support including the transfers.

Morton beat the pro peloton to Paris in his 'Alt Tour.'