Junior cyclist Muriel Furrer dies after World Championships crash

Eighteen-year-old Furrer tragically died after being admitted to the hospital.

Tragically, 18-year-old Muriel Furrer lost her life after a serious accident during the junior women’s road race at the 2024 Road World Championships.

The Swiss cyclist sustained a severe head injury in a crash during Thursday's race and was airlifted to Zürich University Hospital in critical condition. Unfortunately, it was reported on Friday that she had tragically died.

The UCI and the committee in charge of the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships express their heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends, and Swiss Cycling Federation of Muriel Furrer. They kindly request that the family’s privacy be honored during this difficult period, as stated by the UCI.

After the incident and prior to Furrer's death, the Zürich 2024 Local Organising Committee (LOC) stated, “Authorities are still investigating the details of the accident. More information will be provided in the future."

"Currently, there are no confirmed details about how the accident occurred. Authorities are still investigating the situation. Therefore, we cannot provide any additional information until we receive updates."

The peloton faced intense rainfall during Thursday's race, where Cat Ferguson emerged as the winner.

Before she passed away, the LOC mentioned that Furrer's family expressed their desire for the World Championships to "proceed as scheduled."

Furrer built on her success at the Swiss national championships in June, where she won two silver medals, by finishing 44th in the junior women's time trial at the World Championships this past Tuesday. She mentioned on Instagram that the road race scheduled for Thursday would be her final competition of the season.

Everyone at Escape Collective is holding Furrer’s family and friends in their thoughts during this challenging time.