Case closed and no charges filed in Muriel Fürrer’s fatal 2024 road cycling worlds crash as ongoing debate over rider safety continues.
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Officials closed the investigation into Furrer’s tragic death at the 2024 UCI road cycling worlds. (Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Updated April 1, 2026 05:32PM
Swiss junior rider Muriel Fürrer lay injured and out of sight for 82 minutes after a fatal crash at the 2024 UCI Road World Championships, prosecutors confirmed Monday.
An investigation by the Zürich Public Prosecutor’s Office into the 2024 tragedy concluded that it was a “racing accident,” with no evidence of negligence or criminal wrongdoing by organizers or first responders.
Swiss investigators confirmed key details of the fatality, revealing that the 18-year-old crashed at approximately 11:04 a.m. during the junior women’s road race after veering off the wet course.
Fürrer fell into a wooded area on a descent where she remained hidden from view, officials said Monday to conclude a long-running investigation.
“The injured cyclist lay hidden in the undergrowth and was not visible from the road,” the prosecutor’s office said. “The sudden absence of the athlete was not automatically reported.”
Race officials, marshals, and spectators did not witness the crash along the 73.5km circuit. She was not located until 12:26 p.m., more than an hour later, officials said in a final report released this week.
Emergency responders initiated medical care before airlifting her to the Zürich University Hospital. Fürrer later died from severe head injuries.
This week, authorities ruled out any wrongdoing, stating there was no evidence of “any criminally relevant breaches in duty” by organizers or medical teams.
In the wake of the tragedy, the UCI introduced mandatory GPS trackers for all riders at the 2025 Road World Championships and is studying to include location trackers in all sanctioned races.
The risks of crashing on open roads made headlines last week when Tom Pidcock crashed into a ravine during the Volta a Catalunya.
“I was drinking on the descent and misjudged a corner. I overshot it and went down the ravine. It was like one of these horror crashes you see,” he said in a Pinarello Q36.5 press release. “I am lucky I could talk on the radio. I was far from the road, and nobody knew I was there.”
Fürrer, a rising Swiss talent, finished second in both the road race and time trial at the 2024 national championships. The UCI later retired her race number from future junior women’s road races.