“A lot of strength”: Furrer’s fate overshadows the Cycling World Championships

>>>Update: Furrer died in hospital on Friday afternoon

The fate of the Swiss junior has cast a dark shadow over the Road Cycling World Championships on Zurich's Gold Coast. The title fights will continue for the time being - also at the request of Furrer's parents.

"I feel so strongly for your family. Be strong," wrote Sandra Mäder under an Instagram post by the 18-year-old. Mäder lost her son Gino last year when he succumbed to his injuries after a fall at the Tour de Suisse.

Gino Mäder had an accident at the Tour de Suisse 2023. © ANSA / GIAN EHRENZELLER

Mäder also addressed Furrer's parents directly: "Dear Furrer family, I feel for you. Very intensely and I know so well how you must be feeling right now. Hold on tight. I wish you a lot of strength to get through these hours."

Increase in serious falls Furrer fell in a forest on the north side of Lake Zurich on Thursday during the junior women's race for reasons that are still unknown and suffered severe traumatic brain injury. On Friday morning, the world association announced that the World Championships would go ahead. "The family wants the World Championships to continue as planned. Muriel Furrer's health status remains very critical. The UCI, the Swiss association and the local organizing committee are extremely concerned," the statement said.

In the recent past, serious falls in cycling have become more frequent. In July, Norwegian André Drege fell and died on the descent from the Grossglockner during the Tour of Austria. In June 2023, Mäder went off the road on the descent of the Albula Pass. Mäder's death sparked a debate about safety in cycling.

Praise for organizers Things have changed since then. "The safety of the route has improved significantly, as has the route layout. You can't reduce the risk to zero," said German professional cyclist Simon Geschke. The 38-year-old explained that many crashes happen in very clear places due to rider errors or other influences. However, the riders' association CPA has become much more influential and works better. "It just takes a while and doesn't happen overnight," said Geschke.

Cycling is doing its best to ensure safe conditions. © APA/afp / FABRICE COFFRINI

The organizers received praise from the drivers for the safety on the World Cup route, a 27-kilometer-long circuit through the Zurich area. "A lot has been done here. Many traffic islands and obstacles have been removed," said World Cup driver Maximilian Schachmann. His German teammate Franziska Koch also emphasized that a lot has happened since the route was inspected a few weeks ago: "There was still an island in the way every now and then, but it's all clear now. In that respect, they've done a really good job."

Circuit better for safety The fact that it is a circuit also makes the World Cup course safer, based on the drivers' experience. "We drivers know what to expect and can calculate the risk better," said Schachmann. Many crashes, especially in tours, result from the fact that the drivers do not know the course in detail and assess corners and danger spots differently.

Furrer still fell. What exactly happened is still unclear. Despite the adverse conditions, with heavy rain at times, there were a comparatively small number of falls among both the junior women and later the junior men. The world association UCI, the Swiss association and the local organizing committee are still looking for information.

>>>Update: Furrer died in hospital

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“A lot of strength”: Furrer’s fate overshadows the Cycling World Championships

The mother of Gino Mäder, who died in an accident, addressed moving words to Furrer's parents. Despite the serious fall, professionals see progress in safety in cycling.

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