UAE Team Emirates, Marc Hirschi takes revenge in Bassano del Grappa
Marc Hirschi won the Veneto Classic
Marc Hirschi, the Swiss rider of UAE Team Emirates, who was second a year ago behind Samuele Battistella, won the second Veneto Classic by launching himself on the attack when there were 8 kilometers to go. A race, the one organized by PP Sport Events, that evidently suits his characteristics well and goes alongside, among other centers to his credit, a Fleche Wallonne and a stage of the Tour de France. On the podium alongside Hirschi was his teammate Davide Formolo, who in the final kilometers managed to pull away from Nicola Conci of Alpecin Deceuninck.
Tisa and Diesel Farm produced progressive selection, and it was on the Diesel Farm dirt track that the final gaps were created. Hirschi’s winning action took shape after the breakaway, on typical Gravel terrain, which the Swiss rider was able to tackle with more dexterity than Trentino’s Conci.
Veneto Classic started from downtown Treviso with 111 riders from 20 formations, including seven World Tour teams. The peloton paid tribute to Senator Davide Rebellin, in his last professional race after 30 years as a professional.
The attackers don’t wait: at Ca’ del Poggio a quintet forms at the front: Matteo Zurlo of Zalf Euromobil Fior, Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X, Swiss Nils Brun of Tudor, Riccardo Tosin of General Store and Michael Belleri of Biesse Carrera. The group is proceeding at 3’30”. At the front are the jerseys of UAE Emirates, which can count on Trentin, Ulissi, Covi, Formolo, Andersen and Hirschi and makes it clear that it wants to take over the reins of the race.
At the second Tisa the group is compact, about 60 riders are part of it. Rochas of Cofidis, Vermeersch of Lotto Soudal, Formolo and Hirschi of Uae Emirates, and Scaroni of Astana Qazaqstan take advantage.
No more than about 30 riders in the race. After the cobblestones here’s the dirt road, climbing towards Diesel Farm, the estate owned by entrepreneur Renzo Rosso. A trio of Conci, Formolo, Hirschi forms in the lead. The Swiss attacks on the descent and safely steps over the dry ramp of Contrà Soarda: it is the decisive action. The squares of Bassano, packed to capacity, welcome him in triumph. Formolo meanwhile has detached Conci and crosses the finish line with the victory sign.
These are the winner’s statements at the end of the race: “We didn’t think we would bring the decisive attack on the dirt road, we rather thought we would make the difference on the Tisa, then things turned out differently. I had tried the Diesel Farm descent in training, so I decided to force myself to try to go right there, even though I am not a Gravel specialist. I saw that Conci was in trouble and went full throttle. I knew my teammate Formolo was behind, but I felt I could make it and in the last few kilometers and I continued my action.”
