Fatal crash at the World Cycling Championships Was Muriel Furrer lying in the forest for almost two hours until she was rescued?
The investigation into Muriel Furrer's fatal accident is ongoing. The Zurich police will provide an update on Monday, but will not give any details about the time of the accident. However, there are indications of what may have happened last Thursday.
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- The investigation into the fatal accident involving cycling hopeful Muriel Furrer is in full swing. The police will provide an initial update on Monday, but are far from being able to clarify all questions.
- As far as the investigators currently know, Furrer's accident was not witnessed by anyone. The authorities are currently unable to provide any information on the exact time of the fall.
- However, based on the live data from the UCI, there are signs that suggest what may have happened last Thursday.
On Sunday, the World Cycling Championships in Zurich will end with the spectacular elite men's road race and a demonstration of power by Tadej Pogacar. It is a worthy end to the title fights, which have been overshadowed by Muriel Furrer's serious accident since last Thursday. The Swiss rider crashed in the U19 road race in a wooded area and succumbed to severe craniocerebral trauma on Friday.
The death of the 18-year-old raises many questions that remain unanswered. Organizers, the World Cycling Union and the Swiss Cycling Federation are referring to the public prosecutor's office and the cantonal police. The latter will publish an initial update on Monday.
Discovered by a member of the track safety team
"The Zurich cantonal police, together with the public prosecutor's office, have begun an investigation to comprehensively clarify the cause and manner of death, as is usual in such cases," it says in a published statement. "The investigation into the circumstances of the accident is ongoing and has not yet been completed. According to initial findings, the rider fell near Küsnacht while descending from the hamlet of Schmalzgrueb on a slight left-hand bend."
According to current knowledge, Furrer's fall was not witnessed by anyone. "The investigations so far show that the fallen athlete was discovered unconscious in the forest off the track by a member of the track safety team. The exact time of the accident has not yet been fully clarified," the statement continues.
The police cannot provide any more information at this time. Further investigations could still take some time. However, based on the live data from the cycling association, there are indications of what may have happened last Thursday.
Thursday, 10 a.m.: Start of the race in Uster
The U19 race gets underway. 120 riders from all over the world are at the start. Among them is Muriel Furrer, who is tackling the competition with the number 84. From Uster, the race goes around Lake Greifensee before heading to the City Circuit via Maur and Binz. At 11.09 a.m., the fastest riders will pass Sechseläutenplatz for the first time, where a split time will be recorded using so-called transponders at the later finish line. The UCI evaluations show: Furrer is already missing there, her transponder is never registered at the split time.
Thursday, 11.54 am: Cat Ferguson celebrates gold
After another lap of the City Circuit, Great Britain's Cat Ferguson is the first rider to cross the finish line after 73.5 kilometers and celebrates world championship gold. Just under one and a half minutes later, Lara Liehner, the best Swiss rider, crossed the finish line in 9th place. It is not known that another Swiss racer has crashed.
Thursday, 12.15 pm: Start of the paracycling race
It's one race after another. The men in categories C3, C4 and C5 start their race, also on the City Circuit. It seems unlikely that the organizers were aware of Furrer's crash at this point. Otherwise, a new race would hardly have been started on the accident track.
Thursday 12.45 p.m.: The rescue services in action
Around half an hour after the start of the race, the para-athletes arrive in the wooded area between Zumikon and Küsnacht. The live broadcast shows an ambulance and several police cars at the side of the road on a left-hand bend. Only later does it become clear what is behind the rescue operation.
Thursday 12.52 p.m.: Rega lands at the scene of the accident
According to the NZZ, Rega does not land at the scene of the accident until shortly before 1 pm. Based on the start and intermediate times, the juniors are likely to have passed this spot for the first time between 10.55 am and 11.05 am. Did two hours pass between the fall and Furrer's recovery? A question that the responsible investigators are certainly looking into.
