Hirschi aimed to prevent another Van der Poel show in the Amstel Gold Race: "I anticipated Mathieu's attacks"

In the Amstel Gold Race, Marc Hirschi seemed to return to his 2020 form, the year he not only won a stage in the Tour de France but also claimed the Flèche Wallonne and finished second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. With his second-place finish behind winner Tom Pidcock, the Swiss rider proved in South Limburg that he is back in form. IDLProCycling.com was there to capture the moment!

This year hadn't fully been Hirschi's year yet, despite his win at the Faun Drome Classic and a third place in Milan-Turin, he hadn’t really made a mark in the classics yet. However, over the last few weeks, we've started to see the 25-year-old rider from UAE Team Emirates coming into his own more frequently. "We want to play it like in recent races. That means getting several riders to the front so we can play our cards and cover each other's attacks," he had already told IDLProCycling.com a few weeks ago about UAE's strategy.

UAE Team Emirates colors the spring, Hirschi increasingly prominent at the front

Where last year team leader Tadej Pogacar dominated the Amstel Gold Race, this time Hirschi and Juan Ayuso (who finished 21st) were the clear team leaders. And he fulfilled that role with verve. "I am very proud of this second place," he told Eurosport right after the finish. "It's great to be back in form. But second place is still the first loser. That's a bit disappointing, though happiness predominates."

"I was well-positioned all day," the good-humored rider continued his story. "It was a tactical race, but fortunately, I had done my homework. I studied the roads and also checked where the wind was coming from. That definitely helped. I was expecting an attack from Mathieu at some point, so I tried to anticipate. And I succeeded because we got away with a nice, select group. I was always at the front of the race, so that was nice. It helped me save a lot of energy."

Hirschi mentioned to the international sports channel that he tried to break away in the final. "Unfortunately, that didn't work out. But the cooperation remained good. Then it came down to a sprint. Unfortunately for me, I got a bit boxed in and couldn't really get to the front. But all in all, it was a super good race, almost perfect. And that in my favorite classic."

Hirschi wanted to anticipate Van der Poel's attacks

When Hirschi came to the press conference after the podium ceremony, we recorded similar statements. "It's true that we anticipated Mathieu van der Poel. We expected attacks from him," he was clear to IDLProCycling.com and others. "Our team was well-represented and I think we managed to isolate Mathieu a bit. I should add that I was at the front for a long time, so I'm not entirely sure what happened behind."

Eventually, Hirschi got away with Pidcock, Tiesj Benoot (third), and Mauri Vansevenant (fourth). An elite group, indeed. "After that, it quieted down a bit, which obviously played to our advantage. I believe there was quite a bit of blocking going on. My legs weren't super good, so I wasn't very sure of my case. That's why I knew I had to attack. It turned out to be the right choice, especially because we worked well together. Everyone believed we could make it to the finish. This second place still means a lot to me, especially considering the roster of participants. It’s a proud addition to my record."