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Courage, class and passion: Marc Hirschi (22) has it all. And that’s exactly what he shows before an audience of millions on the Pyrenees second leg of the tour. However, the Bernese narrowly missed the victory.
On his heroic 90-kilometer solo journey, the best riders in the general classification overtake him shortly before the finish line. “That was it,” they all think, “Hirschi is now demoralized.” Indeed? Think! Hirschi does not stop, he actually runs to win the stage, he is even ahead and is caught again. 3rd place angrily, the young Swiss hits the handlebars with his right hand. Little was missing, so little for his first professional victory. “Sure, I’m sad. It was a hard day and I was close. But it wasn’t enough, ”he says. The fact that you received a 20-second penalty from the jury for unauthorized food in the last 20 kilometers does not change the great performance.
In the end, Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (21) won the stage ahead of his compatriot and tour favorite Primoz Roglic (30). Former leader Adam Yates (28, Gb) has to hand over the Jaune Jersey to Roglic, but the starting position in the general classification remains exciting ahead of the rest day today.
Hirschi drives devilishly well
Ultimately, however, Hirschi’s escape is the topic of the day. Everyone feels sorry for the 2018 Innsbruck U23 world champion. And everyone would have awarded him stage victory on his first tour. Hirschi can’t buy anything with that. When he’s named the most combative driver of the day on the podium, he only lifts the bouquet briefly, for once he’s probably happy to be able to hide his face behind a mask.
Then Hirschi says: “I always focused on myself and believed in victory. After all, I couldn’t influence what happened behind me. “The nearly five-minute lead in the meantime not only makes him dream, but also the Swiss cycling fans. Will there be the first stage victory of the Swiss Tour since Fabian Cancellara 2012 (prologue in Liège)? The brutal ramps of the Col de Marie Blanque (1035 meters above sea level), the last obstacle of the day, speak against it. But Hirschi fights, suffers and goes over the pass with an advantage 15 seconds.
Eight kilometers from the finish line he has a 25-second lead: Hirschi, the devilishly good downhill runner, walks away from everyone. It is just before Olympus. In the area, however, he has no chance against the group behind, which is also outside of the bonus seconds and therefore has no mercy. Its trapped. “My team radioed me to wait. I did. I’m not bad at running either. But I wasn’t good enough. “
The conclusion: Hirschi has almost delivered his masterpiece, only missing the glory of the crown.