Zurich (AFP) – The World Cycling Championships were mourned on Friday by the death of an 18-year-old Swiss rider, Muriel Furrer, who died after a serious fall the day before during the junior race.
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“It is with very deep sadness that the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the Organizing Committee of the world championships (…) in Zurich (Switzerland) learned today the tragic news of the death of the young Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer,” the UCI said in a press release.
The worst was to be feared since the announcement the day before of the accident suffered by the young Swiss woman: she was in a “very critical” condition, in the words of the UCI, after being airlifted to hospital. with “severe head trauma”.
“Muriel Furrer unfortunately died today at the University Hospital of Zurich,” the UCI said on Friday, deploring the disappearance of a “runner who had a future ahead of her.”
“Deeply saddened by the death of junior rider Muriel Furrer today. Our thoughts are with her family, her friends and her teammates in these difficult times,” reacted the president of the UCI, David Lappartient, on the social network x.
The UCI was due to give a press conference at 15:00 GMT.
Muriel Furrer had fallen heavily in the pouring rain during the junior road race at the World Championships, on the same course as the other races on the program.
The exact location of his fall has not been specified. According to Swiss media, the accident occurred in a forest above Küsnacht, on the eastern shore of Lake Zurich, and the runner took many minutes before being discovered.
She lived only ten minutes from the supposed accident site.
“Ongoing investigations”
“Investigations by the competent authorities are underway,” the UCI indicated on Friday morning before the announcement of the death, adding that the World Championships would continue with in particular the women’s and men’s events on Saturday and Sunday.
The Worlds road races, of varying length depending on the age categories, end on a final circuit in Zurich and its surroundings which takes several winding roads and descents which can be dangerous, especially in the rain.
Swiss cycling had already been hit by the death last year of Gino Mäder during the Tour de Suisse. A very popular runner in the professional peloton, the Bahrain team runner died on June 16, at the age of 26, following a violent exit from the road the day before during the descent of the Col de Albula.
Found inert in a ravine and resuscitated on site, he was airlifted to Chur hospital where he died of his injuries the next day.
In 2023, a 17-year-old Italian died during a downhill run in a regional junior race in Austria.
And more recently, on July 6, the Norwegian André Drege, 25, also died during a race after a fall, again on a descent, during the 4th stage of the Tour of Austria.
The first half of the season was also marked by several very serious falls in the professional peloton, affecting star riders like Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.
Many cycling players highlight the fact that bikes are becoming more and more efficient, which further increases the danger of this sport.