Lhe “exact moment” of the fall which cost the life of young Swiss rider Muriel Furrer during the Zurich Road Cycling Worlds “is not yet determined”, the Zurich cantonal police said in a press release on Monday.
We now know that Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer suffered serious head trauma during her fall on Thursday at the world championships. According to the beginnings of the investigation, Furrer would have indeed fallen in a wooded area of Küsnacht, north of Lake Zurich, in a sharp left turn which had become slippery due to the rain.
Zurich authorities also confirmed for the first time that the Swiss runner remained unnoticed on the edge of a forest for “some time” after her fall. Swiss media claim that Muriel Furrer potentially remained on the ground for “an hour”, but the exact duration was not communicated.
Neither the riders nor members of the race organization were aware of Furrer’s fall at the time the Swiss cyclist fell. This is why no additional security measures were taken during the second visit to the same location.
In a statement released Monday, police explained that the fall was not seen by any witnesses. There are also no television images or photos of the accident to date.
According to the first elements of the investigation, Furrer fell during the descent of Schmalzgrueb in a slight left turn. “The athlete was discovered unconscious in the forest, away from the course, by a member of course security,” explained the cantonal police. “The emergency services immediately mobilized arrived shortly after at the scene of the accident and provided first aid. The exact time of the accident has not yet been determined,” police said.
