Marc Hirschi will be heading straight from his overall victory at the Czech Tour with UAE Team Emirates to Paris. Hirschi was a late call-up for the Olympic Games road race after Stefan Bissegger was withdrawn.
Bissegger, who finished sixth in the 32.4km individual time trial on Saturday, was supposed to race alongside Stefan Küng in the 273km event on 3rd August. However, he has been dealing with back pain.
“Since the end of the Tour de France a week ago, the 25-year-old from Thurgau has been suffering from muscle pain in his back, which is a result of the high level of exertion,” Swiss Cycling said in a release. “Bissegger was able to overcome this pain in the Olympic time trial on Saturday. However, he is unable to withstand a longer period of exertion.”
Hirschi’s Call-Up
Hirschi, originally named as a reserve when the Swiss team was announced at the end of June, will take Bissegger’s place. Swiss Cycling stated the Late Athlete Replacement Process has been initiated for Hirschi. The 25-year-old will team up with Küng, “hunting for medals on Saturday.”
Both riders will line up at the start in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, each competing in their second Olympic Games road race. In Tokyo, Hirschi was the nation’s top finisher in the climb-heavy road race, coming 25th.
This time, Hirschi is coming into the event with a strong run of results throughout the season. He won the Faun Drôme Classic in February, placed second at the Amstel Gold Race in April, and clinched the overall win at the Czech Tour on Sunday, alongside a stage win and two runner-up spots.
Swiss Olympic Road Race History
The last Swiss rider to secure a medal in the men’s Olympic road race was Fabian Cancellara, who took silver in Beijing in 2008. Cancellara also won gold in the time trial in both 2008 and 2016. Küng narrowly missed a medal in the Tokyo time trial, finishing fourth, just four-tenths of a second off the podium.
Marlen Reusser delivered for the Swiss team in Tokyo, claiming silver in the time trial. However, she had to withdraw from the Olympic team for Paris due to a lingering illness. Jolanda Neff, the nation’s 2021 Olympic champion in cross-country mountain biking, also resigned her spot ahead of the Games due to breathing issues.
In the upcoming cycling events, Switzerland will be hoping for medals as Nino Schurter and Mathias Flückiger lead the charge in the men’s cross-country mountain bike race on Monday, 29th July.
