"I'm riding Il Lombardia, where I will replace Juan Ayuso" - Man in form Marc Hirschi forces late change to UAE Team Emirates plans
Cycling
The impressive late season form of Marc Hirschi continued at the Gran Piemonte as the UAE Team Emirates man took a close second behind Andrea Bagioli.
"I'm a bit disappointed. When you are so close, you also want to win," Hirschi told Cycling Pro Net in a post-race interview. "However, Bagioli was just a bit faster. I got next to him, but I couldn't get over it. So I can live with that."
"It was a tough race from the start, which was good for us. We had Davide Formolo in a leading group and Jumbo-Visma, for example, was not with us, so we were able to put some pressure on," he continued. "In the final I followed the men of Soudal Quick-Step, where I was able to save some energy. I didn't know exactly what the situation was at that moment, but I still went up the last hill. This way we could go to the finish with four men."
The impressive form of Hirschi towards the end of the season that has seen the 26-year-old win the Swiss National Championships, the Tour de Luxembourg and the Giro dell'Appennino among other good results has forced a change of tactic for UAE Team Emirates.
"Now I'm riding Il Lombardia where I will replace Juan Ayuso," Hirschi reveals. "I hope I can support Tadej Pogacar and Adam Yates there as best as possible."
🇮🇹 #GranPiemonte Podium
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) October 5, 2023
👏🥈 @MarcHirschi #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/hftGpygRko
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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