CHAUVIGNY: Marc Hirschi bounced back from his earlier heartbreak with a magnificent solo win in Stage 12 of the ongoing Tour de France on the longest day of the race.
Twice denied a victory in the opening week of his maiden Grand Tour, Hirschi on Thursday benefitted from a Team Subweb masterclass to become the first Swiss stage winner of the Tour since Fabian Cancellara in 2012.
Hirschi, 22, used a softening attack from teammates Soren Kragh Andersen and Tiesj Benoot as a launchpad, zipping clear on the fourth and final categorised climb of the day with 28 leg-sapping kilometres remaining.
Despite a big effort from Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) to ride back into contention, Hirschi kept his cool over the lumpy approach into Sarran to secure his first win as a professional in mesmerising style.
Hirschi finished 47 seconds clear of veteran Frenchman Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) before Danish teammate Kragh Andersen led a splintered chase group home with a punch of the air as he took third. With a third Sunweb rider, Ireland's Nico Roche, also in the top 10, it was a case of job well done for a team that had been knocking on the door since the start of the 107th edition of the race. IANS