UCI retires number 84 at all future World Championships junior women's road races in tribute to Muriel Furrer

The UCI has retired the number 84 for all future UCI Road World Championships junior women's road races as a mark of respect towards Muriel Furrer, who passed away during last year's event.

The Swiss junior rider suffered a serious head injury after crashing in the Zurich road race last September, and died after being airlifted to hospital.

Omitting number 84 from the starting roster in future junior women's road Worlds would be a tribute to Furrer, said newly re-elected UCI president David Lappartient.

"The death of Muriel Furrer, a promising young rider with a bright future ahead of her, during our UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships last year cast a shadow of mourning over the event and the entire cycling community," he said.

"One year later to the day, our thoughts are still with her, her loved ones, and her Federation, Swiss Cycling. 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 Junior road race at the UCI World Championships for road cycling."

Furrer's death threw up a multitude of questions, with details of how the crash happened and how long it took before she received medical attention in short supply.

"We don’t know exactly what happened, that’s the job of the police, they are working on it, to figure out the conditions of how the accident happened," said Lappartient at the time.

Questions were also asked as to whether the use of race radios – prohibited in World Championships races – could have meant Furrer received earlier medical attention.

Most recently the UCI trialled the use of GPS trackers at the Tour de Romandie Féminin, and all riders are using them in this week's World Championships. This comes as part of the governing body's SafeR initiative, with the specific aim of being able to quickly locate a stopped rider – for example in a crash situation like that of Furrer.

"This system, operated from the UCI Road World Championships control centre, will enable real-time monitoring of data regarding the position and speed of the entire peloton, thus allowing for immediate identification of any unusual situations, such as a rider suddenly stopping on the course," a UCI release said.

Lappartient has also expressed a desire to see GPS used in all WorldTour events.

After Friday morning's junior men's road race victory by Great Britain's Harry Hudson, the World Championships continue today with the under-23 men's road race this afternoon. The elite women's road race is held tomorrow (Saturday 27 Sept) and the Championships culminate in the elite men's road race on Sunday (28 Sept).