18-Year-Old Swiss Cyclist Who Had ‘a Bright Future Ahead of Her’ Dies After Crash at World Championships

Muriel Furrer, a budding star in the cycling world, has died after hitting her head during a crash at the Road and Para-cycling World Championships in Switzerland on Thursday, Sept. 26. She was 18 years old.

“It is with great sadness that the Union Cycliste Internationale [UCI] and the organizing committee of the 2024 UCI road world championships in Zurich, Switzerland, today learned the tragic news of the death of young Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer,” the UCI confirmed in a statement Friday, Sept. 27, adding, “With the passing of Muriel Furrer, the international cycling community loses a rider with a bright future ahead of her.”

Furrer crashed “heavily” during Thursday’s race and “suffered a serious head injury,” the cycling union said. The teenager was airlifted to Zurich University Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead Friday afternoon.

“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,” they added.

The World Championships continued on Friday after race organizers conferred with Furrer’s family and they said they wanted the race to go on, the BBC, The Guardian, and the Associated Press.

The AP reported that Furrer’s death marks the second time a Swiss rider has died during a race in their home country in as many seasons, after 26-year-old Gino Mäder died as a result of a crash in 2023.

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Furrer is believed to have crashed near the city of Küsnacht, which is along the race’s 73.6 kilometer route, according to The Guardian. ESPN reported that there was heavy rain throughout Thursday’s race and that roads were slick.

However, in an initial statement Thursday, the UCI said that “there are no established facts regarding how the accident happened” and that investigations into the crash “by the competent authorities are ongoing.”

Furrer’s fans and fellow riders took to social media to mourn the rising cyclist on Friday, with many commenting on Furrer’s last Instagram update, which was posted on Sept. 16. “RIP champion,” fellow rider Valentin Grimoux wrote in the comments, while Team Visma posted, “The world of cycling lost a rider with a bright future. Our thoughts are with all the family and friends of Muriel. Rest in peace, dear Muriel.”

“Our hearts are broken, we have no words,” Swiss Cycling mourned on social media. “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.”