“Extremely concerned” as driver Furrer is “very critical” after the crash

Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer is in a “very critical” condition after suffering a serious head injury at the Road and Paracycling World Championships.

The 18-year-old crashed in the junior road race – authorities say they are “extremely concerned” about her condition.

Furrer, a two-time silver medalist in the time trial and road race at this year's Swiss road championships, was taken by emergency helicopter from the track in Zurich to hospital, where there was torrential rain for much of the race on Thursday.

A joint statement from the world cycling association UCI, Swiss Cycling and the event's organizing committee said: “Swiss rider Muriel Furrer fell badly today for reasons that are still unclear. She suffered a serious head injury and is in a very critical condition.”

“The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Swiss Cycling and the local organizing committee of Zurich 2024 are extremely concerned about the situation and are closely monitoring developments and will provide information as soon as possible.

“At this point in time there is no reliable information about what happened to the accident. The official investigations are ongoing. For this reason, no further information can be provided until further notice.”

Road cycling safety is once again in the spotlight

Road cycling saw several serious incidents in 2024, including an accident during the Itzulia race in the Basque Country in April that caused serious injuries to three of the world's top elite male riders – including 2023 Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, who lost to Tadej Pogacar in 2023, lost this year's race in July.

The owner of the British Ineos Grenadiers, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, even asked the UCI in an open letter for “real action” on the staging of road races.

The UCI launched the SafeR campaign in 2023 to analyze the risks associated with road cycling events and provide safety reports.

Last year, Furrer's compatriot Gino Mader had an accident at the age of 26 in a fall on a high-speed descent during the Tour de Suisse in June.