Switzerland’s Anja Grossman gained the junior girls’s title on the European Cyclocross Championships in Pontevedra and paid an emotional, tear-filled tribute to her former teammate Muriel Furrer, who died in a crash on the Highway World Championships.
Grossman beat Barbora Bukovská (Czechia) and Giorgia Pellizotti (Italy) to the road on the finish of the 37-minute race after the trio plus Mae Cabaca (Netherlands) went clear on the entrance within the second half of the race. The ultimate lap noticed the rostrum contenders battle over the win, with Grossman pushing on late within the race and pulling out a small hole which she held to the end line.
Muriel Furrer sustained a important head harm when she crashed within the junior girls’s highway race on the Zurich world championships in late September. Native authorities and the UCI have declined to say how quickly Furrer was positioned and the way shortly she obtained medical remedy, sparking questions on rider security.
Grossman pointed to the sky as she gained the European tile and was in tears on the rostrum.
Grossman stated that she “rode as we speak and every single day” for Furrer and stated that the weeks since her demise have been the toughest of her life.
“I labored for this actually arduous and it means the world to me to race races and win races and titles. Everybody desires it and it is only a dream to return to a different,” Grossman stated.
“I am a first-year junior and particularly I rode as we speak and every single day for my buddy Muriel who handed away just a few weeks in the past. It has been the toughest weeks of my life, the final weeks. I imply I gave the whole lot for her, and she or he was with me.
“Her household are the loveliest folks I do know, and it was very arduous however I managed to have a transparent thoughts on this scenario once I wanted it.”
Grossman, who turned 16 final month, went on to thank those that had supported her throughout her biking profession.
“It means the world to me and I need to thank everybody I do know – my household, my boyfriend, my staff, my sponsor, my buddies and everybody round me who’s there for me as a result of with out them I might not be right here and win this title. And in addition to Swiss Biking – they do the very best job they’ll do to deliver me on this stage.
“It is an unbelievable day and it was an unbelievable feeling to cross the end line. It is unbelievable.”
