Swiss rider spent 82 minutes alone in underbrush before being found
On September 26, 2024, Muriel Furrer, 18, crashed during the UCI Road World Championships and was unattended for 82 minutes before being found. She died the next day.(Image credit: Getty Images)
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An investigation into the death of Muriel Furrer during the 2024 Road World Championships in Zurich has been closed without any fault being found against the UCI, according to the Zurich public prosecutor's office.
"Based on the police investigation, the cyclist's fall is considered a racing accident with no evidence of criminal conduct or contributory negligence on the part of the organiser, other race participants, or third parties," the public prosecutor's press release stated.
Furrer, 18, was competing in the junior women's road race when she crashed out of view on a downhill section of the Zurich circuit. The investigation revealed that Furrer was obscured by underbrush as she lay unattended for one hour and 22 minutes before she was located and treated by emergency responders.
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"The accident occurred at approximately 11:04 a.m., out of sight of support vehicles, race officials, spectators, and marshals," the press release stated.
"The injured cyclist lay hidden in the undergrowth and was not visible from the road. As was customary at previous editions of this World Cycling Championship, live tracking of all athletes was not used at the event. Therefore, the sudden disappearance of an athlete was not automatically reported. Due to these circumstances, the injured cyclist was not discovered until 12:26 p.m."
The investigation found no fault with the emergency response, stating, "According to the investigation, the first emergency responders arrived at the scene of the accident just minutes after the cyclist was found and immediately began providing initial medical care.
"This was followed by the rescue of the seriously injured cyclist from the undergrowth and preparations for her transport to the hospital. No evidence of any criminally relevant breaches of duty was found, either in connection with the time-consuming rescue operation or with the subsequent medical care at the University Hospital Zurich."
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Furrer died of her injuries while in the hospital the next day. It is not clear whether she would have survived with more prompt treatment.
However, her death and that of Gino Mäder during the Tour de Suisse in 2023 have put the UCI under pressure to implement more safety reforms.
The UCI implemented a GPS tracking system for the first time at the Road Worlds in Rwanda in 2025, and has issued a call for proposals for a more widely adopted system for road events, saying in a letter to teams that tracking will "become mandatory and phased in across event classes".
"We are striving for the best solution to be found in collaboration with the stakeholders and within the best possible timeframe," Lappartient said.
"The risk of a rider going off course unseen is a fundamental danger to the safety of our riders."
Last week, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) crashed on a descent during the Volta a Catalunya and fell into a ravine out of sight of anyone. He was fortunately able to climb out and finish the stage, but later dropped out of the race.
Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
