"After the finish there was euphoria at first. But when you then hear the news..." - Alec Segaert finds no joy in World Championship bronze after Muriel Furrer's death

As the riders of the under 23 men's road race at the 2024 World Championships were battling it out for the Rainbow Jersey in Zurich on Friday afternoon, the tragic news of the death of 18-year-old Swiss junior, Muriel Furrer, following a crash in the women's junior road race on Thursday came through.

Once the riders in the under 23 race found out, any celebrations from the medal winners were understandably muted. "It is a nice reward, but it is all relative," ponders bronze medallist Alec Segaert in his post-race interview with Sporza. "After the finish there was euphoria at first. From an almost lost position I still get a medal. But when you then hear the news about the death, it releases emotions."

Although the 2024 World Championships are set to continue in Zurich, at the request of Furrer's family no less, a cloud now sits over the event. Nevertheless, the performance of Segaert on the road on Friday afternoon was a positive one as the Belgian bounced back strongly from disappointment in the time trial last weekend to leave Switzerland with a medal after all. 

"I really rode a good race," Segaert assesses of his performance. "Tactically I tackled it very strongly and collectively we rode well. We had a lot of riders in the final. We didn't leave much behind.