Swiss junior rider Muriel Furrer has died following on from a crash within the junior ladies’s street race on the World Championships in Zurich.
In a press launch issued on Friday afternoon, the UCI confirmed the 18-year-old’s demise after she suffered a “severe head damage” within the crash on Thursday. The incident reportedly happened on the southern finish of the Zürich metropolis circuit, which is being tackled by all street races this weekend, together with the continued males’s under-23 race. There have been a number of crashes on the street race route, largely because of the moist climate.
Earlier on Friday, the UCI confirmed that the World Championships would proceed regardless of the incident, and that there have been “no established info concerning how the accident occurred”. “Investigations by the competent authorities are ongoing,” a spokesperson stated.
The newest UCI assertion learn: “It’s with nice disappointment that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Organizing Committee of the 2024 UCI Street and Para-cycling Street World Championships in Zurich (Switzerland) right this moment discovered the tragic information of the demise of younger Swiss bike owner Muriel Furrer.
“With the passing of Muriel Furrer, the worldwide biking group loses a rider with a vibrant future forward of her. The 18-year-old rider fell closely yesterday, Thursday September 26, through the Girls Junior street race, and suffered a severe head damage earlier than being flown to hospital by helicopter in a really crucial situation. Muriel Furrer sadly handed away right this moment at Zurich College Hospital.”
It continued: “The UCI and the Organizing Committee of the 2024 UCI Street and Para-cycling Street World Championships provide their honest condolences to Muriel Furrer’s household, buddies and her Federation Swiss Biking.
“Muriel Furrer’s household asks that their privateness be revered at this very painful time.”
Furrer completed second in each the junior street race and time trial at Switzerland’s nationwide championships this yr, and completed forty fourth within the junior time trial on the Worlds on Tuesday. This was her second and closing yr at junior stage. She rode for BIXS Efficiency Race Workforce, a Swiss mountain bike squad, and in addition competes in cyclo-cross, by which she additionally completed second within the Swiss nationals final season. Furrer was from Egg, simply to the south of Zürich.
“Our hearts are damaged, we now have no phrases It’s with a heavy coronary heart and infinite disappointment that we now have to say goodbye to Muriel Furrer right this moment,” Swiss Biking posted on X. “We’re dropping a warm-hearted and fantastic younger lady who all the time had a smile on her face. There is no such thing as a understanding, solely ache and disappointment.”
Final yr, Gino Mäder died following a crash on the Tour de Suisse, one other heartbreaking occasion for Swiss Biking.