Marc Hirschi (Sunweb) went with Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck) and appeared in society, with all the glamor of the Tour and the Côte d’Azur. Red carpet for the 22-year-old Swiss (24 August 1998), third in the general classification and second best cyclist in his neighborhood, Ittigen, in Bern. The revelation of the Nice stage grew up on the same streets as Fabian Cancellara. Now they work together. ‘Spartacus’ is your advisor-advisor-representative.
European and U-23 world champion in 2018, he runs his first three-week lap. Yesterday was his fifteenth day of competition this season. He prepared the Tour on the Dauphiné. He has only raced in France, except for the Strade Bianche, which did not finish. He had hip problems at the beginning of the year and the stoppage due to the coronavirus helped him avoid the operating room and recover. A physical therapy treatment, specific strength exercises and a change in posture on the bike, less flat and with a more bowed back, solved the problem. He explains this by saying that the new position is “less Cancellara and more Dumoulin.”
The keys
- Average of 35 per hour
It is the fourth hour of the race and the average speed is 35.1 kilometers per hour, which gives an idea of the calm pace at which the peloton rolled. The hail and downpour that the group endured for several kilometers had an influence.
- Fight for the green jersey
Sagan prevails in the sprint of the peloton for points over Bonifazio, Nizzolo, Kristoff, Bennett and Trentin, who seem interested in the fight for the green jersey, which passes behind Sagan’s back by beating Kristoff (79 to 77).
- End of escape
Jérôme Cousin (Total-Direct Energie) is caught by the peloton, which never gave options to the break, made up of Anthony Pérez (Cofidis) at the beginning – then he dropped out – and Benoit Cosfrenoy (Ag2r).
- Gana Ewan
A brilliant sprint for the Australian, who overtakes Sagan over the hurdles and makes his way to overtake Sam Bennetr as well. After winning three stages in the 2019 edition, Ewan is emerging as the best sprinter this year too.
Before the Tour, last year, in his first campaign as a professional, he went through the university of the Basque roads. In addition to his podium in the Clásica de San Sebastián (3rd), he played the Itzulia and gave an interview to this newspaper. He explained his beginnings in cycling. «I started with my father, who did mountain biking. As a child I took great tours of the woods with him. My dream was always road cycling, but it was easier to start mountain biking, because in Switzerland there are very nice places to ride a mountain bike. Then, at 15, I started road cycling, I moved to the regional team and then to the national team and … here I am. I have an older sister and two brothers, and the little one looks like he could start cycling.
His first mountain race was when he was 12 years old, but “I’ve always been better at road cycling, which is when I started winning races. First I did it in regional events and at 16-17 years old I already won the national championship. My trajectory has always been upward ».
He lives in Ittingen, «very close to Fabian Cancellara. It has inspired me to keep going in cycling. It inspires me but I try to follow my path and not compare myself with other cyclists. I’m trying to get the best of me and we’ll see if it’s enough to win races. Since November both have collaborated professionally.
«The Mbappé of cycling»
Cancellara believes that “Hirschi is the Mbappé of cycling.” As a good Swiss, he is a retailer and likes to be up to date on all the technical aspects of his work, including the mechanics of the bicycle and the rest of the equipment.
However, the former champion stands out from his pupil that he knows how to run without looking at the data, that he interprets race situations well. The Sunweb cyclist explains that «my entire training process was accompanied by the intensive use of information, watts and other parameters, but upon reaching the top I realized that among professionals there is a tendency to return to running for sensations, each time plus”. Cancellara explains that thanks to that flexibility, Hirschi was able to go after Alaphilippe at the col des Quatre Chemins. “If he looked at the watts, he wouldn’t have come out, but he understood what the race required and was right.”
Hirschi is introducing himself to the general public, but connoisseurs have been following him for a long time, as have others like world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek), for example.
The Swiss says that it is “more difficult to become a cyclist than to be a professional runner.” Has quiet habits. «When I’m at home, I like to be with friends: eating together, going to the movies … I can also be calm at home. And traveling, which fits well with cycling.
For now, Hirschi sees himself as a finisher, but Cancellara and other coaches believe that his natural evolution will lead him to play generals. He has a compact physique. It is not very tall (1.74) and it is already thin (61 kilos), although it seems more robust in television images.
At this point, there is no doubt that Hirschi is a top class rider, it is another thing to ask him to win a Tour. For now, he has been involved in the guerrilla war that Alaphilippe has started. Neither of them will win in Paris, but they can drive anyone crazy. Hirschi is the kid dressed in white who ate a large sandwich yesterday just after crossing the finish line.
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