A cyclist who died during the Road World Championships was not found for 82 minutes after the accident, investigators have revealed.
Switzerland’s Muriel Furer, 18, died after falling during a junior road race in her home country of Zurich in 2024.
The Zurich Public Prosecutor’s Office concluded after an investigation that there was “no evidence of criminal activity or negligence on the part of the organisers.”
On a course close to where he grew up, Furrer went off the road in wet conditions and crashed into a wooded area.
The incident went undetected by race directors on the 73.5km (45.7 miles) course and she lay undiscovered for more than an hour.
She was eventually taken to the hospital, where she died from head injuries.
A prosecution official said, “The accident occurred around 11:04 a.m. in a place where support vehicles, race officials, spectators, and security officers could not be seen.”
“The injured cyclist was hidden in bushes and could not be seen from the road.
“The sudden disappearance of an athlete was not automatically reported. Due to these circumstances, the injured cyclist was not discovered until 12.26pm.”
Despite being used in other races such as the Tour de France, no live tracking of riders or radio was allowed in the World Championships.
The race was overseen by a local organizing committee with world governing body the UCI contacted by BBC Sport for comment.
The UCI has introduced GPS trackers for the 2025 World Championships in Rwanda so it knows where its riders are at all times.
The Cycling Association (CPA) believes it should have been introduced years ago.
“It’s a really easy solution,” CPA chairman Adam Hansen told BBC Sport in October.
A prosecution official said, “As a result of the investigation, first responders arrived at the scene of the accident just a few minutes after the cyclist was discovered and immediately began initial medical treatment.”
“We then rescued the seriously injured cyclist from the bushes and prepared to take him to hospital.
“No evidence was found of a criminally relevant breach of duty in relation to the time-consuming rescue operation or subsequent treatment at the University Hospital of Zurich.”
Last year, the UCI retired Furrer’s number 84 from women’s junior road racing.
The discovery comes just days after Britain’s Tom Pidcock fell into a ravine during a fast descent from the Volta a Catalunya, an incident that was not seen on camera or by organisers.
“I was way out on the road and no one knew I was there,” the Q36.5 rider said, but said he was “lucky” because he could talk to the team on the radio.
He finished the stage but withdrew from the race the next day.
