Swiss rider Muriel Furrer, 18, dies after fall at world cycling championships

The Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer has died after sustaining a head injury at the world road race championships in Zurich on Thursday.

“It is with great sadness that the Union Cycliste Internationale [UCI] and the organising 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,” a statement read.

“The 18-year-old rider fell heavily [on] Thursday during the women’s junior road race, and suffered a serious head injury before being flown to hospital by helicopter in a very critical condition.”

The statement added: “Furrer sadly passed away today at Zurich University hospital. With [her] passing, the international cycling community loses a rider with a bright future ahead of her.

“The UCI and the organising committee … offer their sincere condolences to Muriel Furrer’s family, friends and her federation, Swiss Cycling. Muriel’s family asks that their privacy be respected at this very painful time.”

In a press conference held later on Friday, the UCI’s sports director, Peter Van Den Abeele, said: “The accident is still under investigation by the relevant, competent public authorities”. He added that the world road race championships would carry on, “respecting the wishes of [Furrer’s] family to continue”.

The UCI and race organisers faced questions about the accident, after local news outlets alleged Furrer was not found immediately after her crash. Olivier Senn, the Zurich 2024 deputy director, said: “There is an investigation going on by the police and public prosecutor. We have no secured information for the time being, and we can’t comment on this.”

Furrer reportedly crashed in a wooded area near Küsnacht on the 73.6km route between Uster and Zurich, but Senn added there was “not yet” official confirmation of the accident location. Van Den Abeele added that the use of GPS trackers in the race would also be looked into by the relevant authorities.

The elite men’s and women’s races this weekend will take in the stretch of road where the fatal crash is thought to have occurred. Senn revealed that extra safety checks had been carried out on downhill stretches of the course, with wet weather forecast. “We have slightly amended the staff on site,” he said. “We believe we always do the maximum on the safety and security of the riders.”

Thursday’s tragic events echo the death of another Swiss cyclist, Gino Mäder, on home soil at the 2023 Tour de Suisse. Senn, who is the Tour’s race director, said on Friday: “There are a lot of similar feelings, I can’t deny that. But today is about Muriel.” Senn added Saturday’s UCI gala event had been cancelled, with podium ceremonies to be scaled back for the rest of the world championships.

In a message posted on X, Swiss Cycling wrote: “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.”

• Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.

• If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.

• In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.

• Turn on sport notifications.

British Cycling, the sport’s governing body in Great Britain, also posted a tribute on social media. “Everyone at British Cycling is devastated to learn of the passing of Muriel Furrer today. Muriel was a devoted young rider with a bright future ahead of her and will be sorely missed by the cycling world.

“We send our condolences to her family, friends and teammates at Swiss Cycling,” the statement concluded. The British rider Cat Ferguson, who won Thursday’s road race event, has also posted a tribute to Furrer on Instagram.

Furrer, who finished 44th in the junior women’s time trial held earlier this week, was an ambassador for the world championships as part of the Swiss junior team. As well as road racing, Furrer also took part in cross-country cycling and last month featured at the world mountain bike championships in Andorra.