Cycling World Cup Zurich: Marc Hirschi challenges the top 3 on Sunday

With his punch and explosiveness, Marc Hirschi is one of the strongest drivers in demanding one-day races. It is precisely these skills that will be in demand on Sunday in the road race at the Zurich Cycling World Championships.

Marc Hirschi’s star is rising for a second time this season. And who knows, maybe the star will even be at its zenith on Sunday. Admittedly, there is a lot of wishful thinking behind it. On the 273 km with 4500 meters of altitude, chance winners are out of the question: Tour dominator Tadej Pogacar will definitely wear the rainbow jersey, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel will become two-time world champion in Zurich and defending champion Mathieu van der Poel has prepared meticulously. Getting past this trio is like a Herculean task.

Hirschi number 4 at the bookmakers

But the forecasts are only valid until they are refuted in the race. Billing will be done at the end. Maybe the 26-year-old Swiss can break through the phalanx. A medal, no matter what color, would be a greater achievement. And the bookmakers also see Hirschi as the first challenger for the top 3. Imagine: The man from Ittigen, where Fabian Cancellara also grew up, switched to Cancellara’s Tudor team in 2025 with a World Cup medal.

The path to the medal, and Hirschi has said this several times and not just with a view to this World Cup, looks like this: “I have to get into a situation in which others had to do more than me before.” That means: Stefan Küng and From Hirschi’s point of view, Mauro Schmid has to help: with attacks or follow-up work. However, if there is only one elimination race to the back, then it will be difficult for the Bernese.

High again

Hirschi seems to have reached every point in his career that he has ever been before. The U23 world champion from Innsbruck in 2018 quickly gained a foothold among the elite: in 2020 he won a stage of the Tour de France, took world championship bronze, won a prestigious classic with the Flèche Wallonne before ending the season with a second place at Liège-Bastogne -Liège concluded – Due to Corona, the spring classic was run in autumn. In the following years, physical problems set him back before he was used again to win in 2024. After the road race at the Olympic Games, he strung together five victories, two of them at World Tour level.

The difference from 2020: Back then, Hirschi repeatedly competed against the big players. Since 2021, also because he had to fit in with Tadej Pogacar in the top team UAE and was no longer allowed to drive on his own account, he often started in races that were good, but not top-class. On Sunday we will see where he stands.

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