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Hirschi right up front: As the World Cup race enters the heat phase, the Swiss set the pace. Image: keystone
Analysis
Why Marc Hirschi’s bronze at the World Cup is not a coincidence
At the Tour de France, Marc Hirschi took center stage with brave appearances. At the Imola World Cup, the 22-year-old Bernese immediately confirmed his successes in France. Three reasons why you are already a good racing driver.
It has been a long and hard day on the saddle for the best professional cyclists in the world. They were not given anything in the World Championship race in Imola. Steep ramps and many kilometers turned the competition into an elimination course in which one after another could no longer keep up with the favorites.
There was always one at the fore: Marc Hirschi. Only when future world champion Julian Alaphilippe attacked hard did the Bernese have to let go. But when he noticed that the beautiful rainbow jersey was out of reach, Hirschi was able to change immediately and, thanks to tactical cunning, he won the bronze medal.
In the circle of legends
As the youngest driver since Lance Armstrong, who was sensationally world champion in Oslo before his 22nd birthday in 1993, Hirschi was allowed to get on the World Championship podium at the age of 22 years and 35 days.
Since World War II, this has only been achieved by five drivers younger than the Swiss. All of them later became cycling legends: Greg LeMond won the Tour de France and the World Championship; Freddy Maertens became world champion and won the Vuelta; Luxembourg’s “angel of the mountains” Charly Gaul triumphed in the Tour and Giro d’Italia; Armstrong was the seven-time Tour de France winner until his successes were canceled due to doping; and Rik van Steenbergen was a three-time world champion and won each of the five monuments except the Tour of Lombardy.
This is the category of racing drivers that Hirschi would like to enter. And it is the category to which it can arrive. Because in the World Championship race in particular, she impressively demonstrated her strengths. Strengths that can take you far in the course of your career.
Motor
The World Championship race in Emilia-Romagna was 258.2 kilometers. This distance is quite unusual nowadays, especially young drivers have little experience with this type of route. Hirschi did not contest more races this year, in 2019 in his season Neoprofi finished a total of four races with more kilometers. In addition, in Imola the runners had to conquer around 5000 meters of altitude in the nine laps with two short but steep climbs each.
The world champion Alaphilippe and the bronze Hirschi. Image: keystone
Hirschi already has a good “engine” to succeed even in such long races. And since the body becomes more efficient with increased resistance training, the 22-year-old has not yet exhausted his potential. In addition, there is excellent control of the bike, which is especially noticeable on its daring descents.
At 1.74 meters and 61 kilograms, it is light enough for the mountains that one day the overall ranking of a three-week tour could also come into focus. For now, Hirschi appears to be a stage hunter there and a great candidate for one-day mountain classics like the Gold Race, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Flèche Wallone or the Lombardy Tour.
Racing intelligence
In the decisive phase of the World Championship race, Hirschi was alone, while the Belgians were still represented by four. Sure: Switzerland could only compete with six drivers, the great nations had nine starters. Despite this disadvantage, the team managed to protect their leader well, so that Hirschi could save energy. Although he said after the race that he hadn’t felt that strong, thankfully, that feeling was misleading him.
Hirschi was mentally up to date at all times. It was almost always ideally placed at the top of the group. Only once did he briefly become critical when he threatened to lose contact. But overall, as in the Tour de France, Hirschi showed remarkable maturity. He always does the right thing instinctively. An exceptional gift that distinguishes champions from great pilots.
Freshness
In addition to this tactical cunning, there is an insensitivity that normally only a veteran has. Marc Hirschi did everything right when a quintet battled for the remaining medals behind Alaphilippe. Each of the five knew that Belgian Wout van Aert is probably the best sprinter of them. And so in the final sprint everyone looked for their rear wheel to win the bronze medal.
Hirschi won a stage of the Tour de France and was named the most combative rider of the three-week tour. Image: keystone
In the end, it was Hirschi who managed to do this by a few inches, and none of his highly decorated opponents. Michael Kwiatkowski was already world champion, Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic just finished second in the Tour de France, Jakob Fuglsang was the last winner of the Tour de Lombardy. Hirschi stayed calm, even when these stars asked him to carry it. This self-confidence, this strong nerve, another characteristic of this extraordinary racing driver, to whom the future belongs.
