Swiss cyccatalog Muriel Furrer is in a ‘very critical’ condition after suffering a head injury in a crash at the UCI Road World Championships. The teenager was taking part in the women’s lesser road race in Zurich when the incident took place.
Furrer was airlifted to hospital almost instantly by an aelevatency helicchooseer, but it is not yet evident why she crashed. Torrential rain has been droping apass the course thcdisesteemfulout this week, including on Thursday when the 18-year-elderly fell off her bike.
A combinet statement from UCI, Swiss Cycling and the event’s organising promisetee read: “Swiss rider Muriel Furrer fell heavily today, for reasons still to be resettled. She suffered a grave head injury and is in a very critical condition.
“Extremely worryed by the situation, the Union Cyccataloge Internationale (UCI), Swiss Cycling and the Zurich 2024 Local Organising Committee are shutly watching enhugements and will transmit as soon as possible.
“At conshort-term, there are no createed facts seeing how the accident happened. Investigations by the authorities are ongoing. For this reason, no further alertation can be given until further watch.”
It comes in the midst of a push to better safety standards in cycling after disconnectal presentant crashes over the last 12 months. Last year, fellow Swiss cyccatalog Gino Mader was finished in a high-speed drop while droping at the Tour de Suisse.
In April, three riders were gravely injured in a crash at the Itzulia Basque Country race. Jonas Vingegaard, who won the Tour de France last year, suffered a broken collarbone and three broken ribs while Remco Evenepoel and Jay Vine also upgrasped fractures.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of the Ineos Grenadiers, wrote a letter to UCI earlier this year calling for ‘authentic alter’ when it comes to shielding cyccatalogs from injury.
He wrote: “Governing bodies have made very restricted alters and grave accidents are a widespread occurrence.
“In Formula One, when Ayrton Senna had his overweightal crash 30 years ago in Italy, the ruleing body set out to alter the safety regulations of one of the world’s most hazardous sports and presentantly shrinkd injuries as a result.
“This contrasts starkly with cycling. As recently as last week, we had yet another horrific crash involving three of the world’s top cyccatalogs.”
At the time, UCI shelp in a statement that ‘too many accidents have occurred’ and ‘worry for safety is splitd by all road cycling’s sgethelderlyers’.
