Muriel Furrer died at the UCI Road World Championships. © @maximeschmid & @jcadosch

Death of young cyclist: Investigation closed

One and a half years after the fatal crash of Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer at the 2024 Road Cycling World Championships in Zurich, the public prosecutor's office has discontinued its investigations.

March 30, 2026

From: dpa

The authorities stated that no third-party involvement or criminally relevant breach of duty in track safety or emergency assistance had been established. The 18-year-old had gone off the track during a downhill section of the junior women's race, unnoticed by race control, and crashed in a wooded area.

She was only reported missing and searched for at the end of the race. According to the public prosecutor's investigation, one hour and 25 minutes passed between her fall and her rescue. Furrer suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in the fall and died the following day in the hospital.

No live tracking at the World Cup

Furrer was lying in the undergrowth and was not visible from the road, according to the public prosecutor's office. Because the bicycles were not equipped with tracking transponders, unlike in other world championships, Furrer's absence was not automatically reported. However, such transponders are generally rare in cycling. There is no legal requirement for GPS tracking.

The World Championship had continued at the family's request. After the accident, safety precautions on the course were increased: more marshals were deployed in the wooded area, the descent was secured with mats around some of the trees, and a large banner warned drivers in the wooded area about the left-hand bend.