Teen Cyclist Killed at World Championships Wasn’t Found for More Than an Hour After Crash

A teenage cyclist who died during the 2024 Road World Championships in Switzerland lay undiscovered for 82 minutes after crashing into woodland, an official investigation has revealed.

Muriel Furrer, 18, left the road during the junior women’s race in Zurich after losing control in wet conditions. She crashed into a wooded area close to where she grew up — but the accident went unseen by marshals, spectators or support vehicles.

Because her disappearance wasn’t automatically flagged and she was hidden in dense undergrowth, nobody realised she was missing until more than an hour later.

Crash unseen, rider hidden from view

The Zurich Public Prosecutors’ Office said the crash happened at around 11:04am, but Muriel was not found until 12:26pm.

In a statement, prosecutors said:

> “The injured cyclist lay hidden in the undergrowth and was not visible from the road.  

> The sudden disappearance of the athlete was not automatically reported.”

Once she was located, emergency responders arrived within minutes and began treatment. She was airlifted to hospital but died from a severe head injury.

No criminal wrongdoing found

The investigation concluded there was no evidence of criminal conduct or negligence by race organisers, which included the UCI and the local organising committee.

Prosecutors also found no failings in the rescue operation or subsequent medical care at University Hospital Zurich.

Rules changed after tragedy

At the time of the race, riders were not permitted to use GPS trackers or radios at World Championships events. Following Muriel’s death, the UCI introduced GPS tracking for riders, with the system used for the first time at the 2025 World Championships in Rwanda.

The UCI has since retired Muriel Furrer’s race number — 84 — from all future women’s junior road races.