UCI to retire Muriel Furrer’s race number in tribute to late Swiss rider

The UCI has announced that it will permanently retire the race number 84 in the junior women’s road race at the World Championships, as a tribute to Muriel Furrer, who tragically lost her life following a crash at last year’s event in Zurich.

Furrer, an 18-year-old Swiss rider, crashed during the junior women’s road race on 26 September 2024. The incident occurred on a descent outside Zurich in wet conditions. She suffered a severe head injury after veering off the road into woodland, and though she was swiftly airlifted to Zurich University Hospital, she passed away the following day. Her death sent shockwaves through the cycling community, casting a shadow over what had been the first combined road and para-cycling World Championships.

The circumstances of the crash also raised difficult questions at the time. No television cameras or direct witnesses captured the moment she left the road, and she was not immediately located by race officials. Only later was her position discovered, with emergency services then attending to her and arranging evacuation by helicopter. The lack of immediate visibility heightened concern among riders and officials about safety on technical circuits, especially in poor weather.

Furrer’s loss was felt deeply in Switzerland, where she had been regarded as a rising talent across multiple disciplines. In 2024 she had finished runner-up in both the junior time trial and road race at the national championships, and she was also active in mountain biking and cyclo-cross. Friends and teammates described her as warm-hearted and always smiling, while Swiss Cycling spoke of “immeasurable grief” at losing one of its brightest prospects.

One year on from the tragedy, UCI President David Lappartient reflected: “The death of Muriel Furrer, a promising young rider with a bright future ahead of her, during our UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships last year cast a shadow of mourning over the event and the entire cycling community. One year later to the day, our thoughts are still with her, her loved ones, and her Federation, Swiss Cycling. To pay tribute to Muriel, the UCI has decided that the race number she wore during the event will no longer be assigned in the Women Junior road race at the UCI World Championships.”

By retiring number 84, the UCI has ensured that Furrer’s name will remain part of the championships in the years to come — a symbolic but permanent reminder of both her talent and the risks faced by young riders chasing their dreams on the world stage.