Marc Hirschi is a Swiss cyclist who has been riding for Team DSM (formerly Team Sunweb) since 2018. He is renowned for his explosive power on climbs, placing him among the world's elite. IDLProCycling.com keeps a close eye on all news related to Hirschi, along with maintaining a biography of his career.
Hirschi's impressive performance in the U23 category
Since joining Team Sunweb in 2018, Marc Hirschi quickly made his mark. In the team's development squad, he impressed with several stage wins, but most notably with his victories at the U23 European and World Road Championships. On the hilly course in Innsbruck, he managed to stay ahead of Bjorg Lambrecht and also left behind names like Tadej Pogacar (7th) and Jai Hindley (11th). This performance was a solid introduction to the young Swiss rider, and the following year he moved up to compete at a higher level.
In 2019, Hirschi started strong with a top-10 finish in the E3 BinckBank Classic, ultimately won by Zdenek Stybar. Later that year, he made an impression in the Clásica San Sebastián, won by Remco Evenepoel, and finished fifth in the overall standings of the BinckBank Tour. This set the stage for his definitive breakthrough in 2020.
Tour de France 2020
Leading up to the Tour de France, Hirschi's performance was relatively low-profile, leaving many unsure of what to expect from this promising rider. However, his extraordinary performance in his first grand tour took everyone by surprise. In the second stage, he nearly clinched a victory but fell just short against Julian Alaphilippe in the final sprint. But that was far from his last notable achievement in the race. In the ninth stage, it looked like he was on track to win his first stage, but he was caught just before the finish by a group including Pogacar and Primoz Roglic, where he ended up behind the two Slovenians in the sprint finish.
Four days later, he made amends in spectacular fashion. On a hilly course, he broke away from his fellow escapees 28 kilometers from the finish, storming to a solo victory. It marked his first professional win, and it was a remarkable one. He continued to ride aggressively but, partly due to a crash, managed only one more top-10 finish.
Hirschi continues his strong performance
Just a month after the Tour de France, Hirschi smoothly continued his excellent form. At the World Championships, he finished third behind Alaphilippe and Van Aert, and then, three days later, he lined up for the Flèche Wallonne. With a finish that suited him perfectly and in the absence of Alaphilippe, he secured a relatively easy victory. Four days later, he concluded his season with a second-place finish in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, behind the disqualified Alaphilippe and eventual winner Roglic. 2020 can rightly be called the year of Marc Hirschi's definitive breakthrough.