🎥 Heart-wrenching: newly crowned European champion devastated with grief at the thought of Furrer

Furrer, just 18, tragically passed away earlier this year following a crash at the World Championships in Zurich. In addition to being a road cyclist, she was a passionate cyclo-cross rider and a close friend of the Swiss cyclo-cross team. Grossmann pointed her fingers toward the sky after crossing the finish line solo in a remarkable final lap. On the podium, her emotions surfaced as she thought of Furrer, sending a chill through everyone.

The young Swiss cyclist’s passing has cast a dark shadow over the cycling world for months. During the Junior World Championships, she crashed on a descent, and an investigation found that she had been laying by the side of the road for an extended period before being airlifted to the hospital, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.

"Every title is special, and I worked hard for this, but it’s especially meaningful to win here for my friend Muriel," Grossmann tearfully told the event organizers after the podium ceremony. "These last few weeks have been the hardest of my life. I gave everything for her. She was always with me, and I was able to race with a free spirit because of her. For that, I must thank my family, my friend, my boyfriend, and my team and sponsors. They have always been there for me. Without them, I wouldn’t be here."