The UCI has permanently retired the race number worn by Muriel Furrer at last year’s world championships, marking the first anniversary of the Swiss rider’s death.
Furrer crashed during the junior women’s road race in Zurich on Sept. 26, 2024. She sustained a severe head injury and was airlifted to Zurich University Hospital, where she died the following day. She was 17.
In a statement Thursday, UCI president David Lappartient called her loss “a shadow of mourning over the event and the entire cycling community.”
A tribute to the fallen rider
“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’s junior road race at the UCI world championships,” Lappartient said.
Furrer wore number 84 during the event. The UCI said the decision ensures her memory will remain part of the sport.
Meanwhile, continued calls to safety have resulted in several changes, some of which are controversial. Months after a problematic rollout at the Tour de Romandie Féminin, the Union Cycliste Internationale is giving GPS rider trackers another try in Rwanda.
SRAM takes UCI to court over gearing rule, CEO calls it unfair
The international governing body announced prior to the 2025 UCI road world championships, that all riders at the upcoming road world championships in Kigali, Rwanda, will be fitted with a small tracking device under their saddle. The technology will be used across every category during the week of racing in Africa.
The system is designed primarily to improve safety. Organizers now have a real-time view of the peloton’s position and speed. That allows race commissaires, medical teams, and security staff to respond immediately if a rider crashes or stops unexpectedly. When Furrer crashed, her whereabouts were unknown for over an hour.
The UCI is also testing gear restrictions in an effort to slow down the peloton. But not everyone thinks that is the solution.
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