On a fresh afternoon of (almost) spring it rises again Marc Hirsch. One of the young phenomena of 2020 scores a good move in Sesto Fiorentino, at Per sempre Alfredo. The Swiss of UAE Team Emirates he won with a textbook move.
A sharp shot a few hundred meters from the summit, A few seconds in his pocket and he was off to the finish line at full speed. The gap fluctuated between 13" and 5", but he kept his head down and continued on, undaunted.
Hirschi Rebirth
Hirschi was indeed somewhat off the radar. He had numerous health problems. This was his first race of 2022. A debut with a victory.
“Yes,” says Hirschi with teary eyes as he changes after arriving, “it’s a dream for me. A rebirth? Let's just say this victory gives me confidence for the upcoming races. And yes, I think it's a rebirth. All in all, I'm fine now, I've regained consistency, my shoulder problems are pretty much over, I still lack a bit of flexibility, but I'm improving."
"But above all, it was a dream to win like this. I made a great attack. I pushed hard until the end. I was a little nervous, focused before the start because it had been a long time since my last race."
Like last year Muskets by force of Trek-Segafredo, in a certain sense for Hirschi and his UAE Emirates Taking on a smaller race like this was almost riskier, it was a bit like having the obligation to win.
«True, but not just for me – Hirshi was undoubtedly the biggest name at the start – but for the whole team, we were there for everyone to see. We were the strongest team and everyone was watching us. It wasn't easy at all for this reason.. But with the kids and especially with Camilo Ardila We worked well. Making the difference wasn't easy because there was a lot of wind in our faces. He pushed ahead before my attack."
Ardennes in sight
Now the Swiss will prepare for the bigger events. He'll set his sights on the Ardennes Classics.
"I'll do the Coppi e Bartali, then the Larciano GP, the Indurain GP, and the Ardennes. I'll go straight to Romandie, where I want to go fast. Then I'll take a break. I'll do the hill climb and then… Tour de Suisse and Tour de France. My season will continue like this."
Hirschi is thus returning to top-level cycling. Recall that he won the 2018 U23 World Championships, and in 2020 he took home the Fleche Wallonne, a stage at the Tour, and nearly won the Liège.
Joining Hirschi on the podium were New Zealander Dion Smith and Belgian Remy Mertz. Lorenzo Milesi is on the attack: he takes the intermediate sprints and GPM classifications. Also present was coach Daniele Bennati (here talking to Visconti). He was given a mortadella as a gift!
Joining Hirschi on the podium were New Zealander Dion Smith and Belgian Remy Mertz. Lorenzo Milesi is on the attack: he takes the intermediate sprints and GPM classifications. Coach Daniele Bennati was also present. He was given a mortadella as a gift!
A place among the greats
In recent days Hirschi has admired the exploits of his companions among UAE Tour, Tirreno, and even yesterday's Sanremo, where he was the leader. Can he fit in this group?
«I hope I'm up to it – he said – we have a super strong team for the Ardennes. Besides Tadej, there are many other guys who know what they're doing and for this reason I hope to improve my condition even further."
"Training with all of them is really stimulating. We're a very competitive group. pogacar, Ayuso, Formolo, but also Majka e Polish…many have won and this motivates the group. Not to mention that now the jersey of the UAE Emirates she is very respected in the group."
