Misfortune overshadows the World Cycling Championships: tears, fear and memorial ride – Muriel Furrer’s death changes everything

Early on Sunday morning, numerous people gather on Sechseläutenplatz to hold a memorial trip for the late Muriel Furrer. Since the accident, nothing has been the same at the World Cycling Championships.

Numerous people get on their bikes early on Sunday morning and gather at Sechseläutenplatz shortly after 7 a.m. Whether old or young, whether on a racing bike or an e-bike – they all pay their last respects to Muriel Furrer with a memorial ride. The 18-year-old had a serious fall in the U23 World Championship race on Thursday and died from her injuries on Friday. Since then, everything has been different at the World Cycling Championships in Zurich.

A city race was actually planned for Sunday morning, in which hobby drivers would compete on the professional track. However, the OK adapts the program in consultation with the international cycling association, Swiss Cycling and the bereaved family. And so this morning around 1,500 cycling friends gather at Sechseläutenplatz as OC boss Olivier Senn begins the funeral journey with a speech and a minute’s silence.

The route also leads past the accident site in the forest above Küsnacht. For many, the memorial journey ended at the Wasserkirche, where a central place of mourning has been set up. A Swiss flag and a picture of the deceased are attached to a tree. There are burning candles in front of it and mourners have laid flowers.

The result is secondary

The Swiss professional riders are also taking part in the memorial ride, and for once they are only traveling at a leisurely pace. Things look completely different on Saturday at the elite road race – and push the affected riders to their limits just one day after the news of their death.

“It was two very hard and difficult days for the entire national team. “We went into the race with no expectations and wanted to race for Muriel with our hearts,” says Noemi Rüegg from Zurich, who finished the World Championship race as the best Swiss woman in 11th place. But the result is only secondary at this moment.

Fear on the track

This also applies to the German Antonia Niedermaier, who will start on Saturday as the secret favorite. But Furrer’s death throws the 21-year-old off course. “I was scared the whole time on the track because of what happened this week. “I drove carefully,” said Niedermaier in tears at the finish and finished in 18th place.

Apparently Lotte Kopecky can handle the situation better. Under these conditions, the Belgian manages to defend her World Cup title from last year. Her thoughts are also with Furrer at the finish. «First I will express my condolences to Muriel’s family. You don’t want to see images like the one during the minute’s silence when the Swiss drivers cried.”

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