The World Championships in Zurich ended on Sunday with a triumph for Slovenian Tadej Pogacar. If sportingly, they gave rise to thrilling races, the tragic death of the young Muriel Furrer made the results secondary for a very affected Swiss delegation. Review of the competition with Daniel Atienza, consultant for RTSsport.
Placed at the center of attention in world cycling for ten days, Zurich was transformed into a gigantic circuit for bicycles… and tricycles, since these planetary jousts brought together both able-bodied and para-cycling. This choice, if not strictly speaking revolutionary, contributed to creating a daily spectacle, like an extension of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Medals, exploits and disappointments of all kinds punctuated the week, with constant activity around the anthill on Sechselaütenplatz.
A breathtaking spectacle
“If we stick only to sport, the results are fantastic. We witnessed suspenseful races from the first to the last day. Sunday, despite an attack from another time 100 km from the finish, the suspense lasted until the end. For the women on Saturday and the U23s on Friday, it was the same thing. We vibrated and didn’t see the time passing“, underlines Daniel Atienza.
This route offered us a spectacle where we were able to see everything we love about cycling
Like the Züribergstrasse, unknown to the general public and whose 17% slopes left their mark, the route was known to be difficult and challenging. Popular fervor was also there, particularly on Sunday, where the runners cut through the crowd as if they were climbing Alpe d’Huez in the middle of July.
“The adage says that the organizers propose and the runners dispose. This route offered us a spectacle where we were able to see everything we love about cycling. It required resistance, endurance, tactics and technique. All this put together, it wasn’t just a group of riders pedaling, but the bike in all its glory“, rejoices our consultant.
An impeccable attitude
On the Swiss side, the results are mixed with two medals (silver for Jasmin Liechti and bronze for Jan Christen during the M23 time trials). The paracyclists, for their part, obtained nine charms (4 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze) for a splendid harvest. But we must, however, detach ourselves from the result alone to appreciate the overall performance of the Swiss runners. “On paper, the results are average, but if we look at the way the races took place, it is excellent“, puts the Vaudois, who celebrated his 50th birthday during these Worlds, into perspective.
The balance sheet is not enormous, but the attitude was largely up to the task
When presenting the competition, the former professional noted that the white cross delegation had chances of medals in all races and this was indeed the case. “The medals are not there, but in all the races, the Swiss were protagonists and this should not be minimized. We saw an attack from Jan Christen 50 km from the finish, Elise Chabbey who sacrificed herself for Noemi Rüegg and Marc Hirschi who tried tirelessly. Everyone wants medals and they are often not a big deal. The balance sheet is not enormous, if we except the paracyclists, who were exceptional, but the attitude was largely up to the task.“, judges the citizen of Moudon.
When sport becomes secondary
Combative and eager to shine at home, the Helvetians went through all the moods during the week, including the worst. The death of Muriel Furrer, a young 18-year-old from Zurich, not far from her home following a fall during the junior race, surrounded these Worlds with immeasurable sadness. “The party was ruined. We are attending a sporting event and the sport becomes so secondary in these circumstances. We experienced a tragedy that will mark the cycling family for a very long time. These Zurich Worlds will remain marked by this drama“, regrets Daniel Atienza.
Sportingly speaking, we experienced very good World Championships, but our heart was no longer in it
“Sportingly speaking, we experienced very good World Championships, but our heart was no longer in it“, he concludes. Words which perfectly sum up the atmosphere felt around Sechselaütenplatz since Thursday evening and the announcement of Muriel Furrer’s accident.
Both magnificent and tragic, these global jousts will undoubtedly remain in the annals of cycling. It remains to be hoped that the next ones, which will be contested in Rwanda in 2025, will experience a more favorable fate.
De Zurich, Bastien Trottet
