Drama at the road cycling world championships in Zurich: la la junior Muriel Furrer lost his life following a fall during his race on Thursday 26 September. The UCI, when the girl’s condition had already appeared very serious, announced the decision after consulting the Furrer family. “The family wishes the world championships to continue as scheduled.” The women’s elite race and the men’s elite race are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
The fall
The 18-year-old Swiss had fallen in the junior women’s race on Thursday and suffered a head injury. The accident occurred in a wooded area on the north side of Lake Zurich, near Kusnacht, a section that is covered in all road races. The weather conditions were difficult: rain and wet roads: some of the athletes finished the race with signs of hypothermia. Furrer ran right on the streets of his home. At the moment the dynamics of the accident remain uncertain, but the UCI explains that “investigations by the competent authorities are still ongoing” thus postponing “further explanations later”, when clarity has been made, with the hope also of have some evidence. From some images it would appear that Muriel Furrer went straight into a curve in the wet, downhill, at high speed. In that stretch the road has no protection: the athlete ended up among the trees, in the woods. The girl never regained consciousness and died in intensive care at the University Hospital of Zurich.
Who was Muriel Furrer
Muriel Furrer was born on July 1, 2006 and was considered a great talent emergent of Swiss cycling: and he raced both on the road and on a mountain bike. In May he had conquered the bronze medal in the ai team relay European Mountain Bike Championships in Romania, while last June he had obtained two second places both in the road race and in the AI time trial Swiss junior championships.
German Behrens wins the U23 race
No party on the podium, nor post-race interviews for the men’s Under 23 event. Victory for the German Niklas Behrens (this season he races with Lidl-Trek), who beat the Slovakian Svrcek in a two-man sprint. Bronze to the Belgian Segaert (at 28”). Best of the Italians Giulio Pellizzari, 11th. It may have been the last U23 World Championship with athletes included in World Tour and Professional formations.
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