18-year-old cyclist Muriel Furrer tragically dies after suffering serious head injury in crash during junior women’s road race at world championships

Teenage Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer has tragically died after suffering a serious head injury in a crash during the junior women’s road race at the UCI world championships in Zurich, the sport’s governing body sadly announced on Friday afternoon.

18-year-old Furrer crashed heavily in sodden and treacherous conditions on the hilly circuit around Zurich, just north of her hometown of Egg, on Thursday morning, and was taken to hospital by an emergency helicopter.

On Thursday evening, the UCI confirmed that Furrer, a medallist at the Swiss junior road race, time trial, cyclocross, and cross-country mountain bike championships this year, was in a “very critical condition” after sustaining a serious head injury in the fall, about which little details are known.

And on Friday afternoon, in news that everyone associated with the cycling world was dreading, the sport’s governing body announced in a statement that Furrer has sadly passed away from her injuries.

Furrer finished 44th at Tuesday’s world time trial championships in Zurich (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“It is with great sadness that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Organising Committee of the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in Zurich (Switzerland) today learned the tragic news of the death of young Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer,” the UCI said in a statement.

“With the passing of Muriel Furrer, the international cycling community loses a rider with a bright future ahead of her.

“The 18-year-old rider fell heavily yesterday, Thursday 26 September, during the Women Junior road race, and suffered a serious head injury before being flown to hospital by helicopter in a very critical condition. Muriel Furrer sadly passed away today at Zurich University Hospital.

“The UCI and the Organising Committee of the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships offer their sincere condolences to Muriel Furrer's family, friends and her Federation Swiss Cycling.

“Muriel Furrer’s family asks that their privacy be respected at this very painful time.”

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

In a statement released on social media, Swiss Cycling said: “Our hearts are broken, we have no words. It is with a heavy heart and infinite sadness that we have to say goodbye to Muriel Furrer today.

“We are losing a warm-hearted and wonderful young woman who always had a smile on her face. There is no understanding, only pain and sadness.

“Our thoughts are with her loved ones and family. We ask that you respect her privacy at this incredibly difficult time.”

Earlier today, it was reported that the 18-year-old’s family had requested that Friday’s world championship races in Zurich, 13km from where Furrer grew up in Egg, should go ahead as planned.

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The heartbreaking news from Zurich will come as another devastating blow to Swiss cycling, just 15 months after Furrer’s compatriot Gino Mäder tragically passed away after crashing on a high-speed descent at the Tour de Suisse.

The 26-year-old Bahrain-Victorious rider, a Giro d’Italia stage winner and one of the sport’s most exciting prospects, fell into a ravine on stage five of his home race in June 2023, and was airlifted to hospital, where he sadly died later that day.

A number of tributes, along with a memorial ride, were organised to celebrate Mäder’s memory at this year’s Tour de Suisse, where his race number 44 was retired and the event’s highest climb renamed in his honour.

The thoughts of everyone at road.cc are with Furrer’s family at this difficult time.