Tour de France: Marc Hirschi wins stage 12

After heartbreak on the 9th stage of the Tour de France just four days ago, Marc Hirschi found redemption on Thursday, sealing an incredible victory on the 218-kilometer trek from Chauvigny to Sarran.

In the longest stage of the Tour, Hirschi, racing for Team Sunweb, was rewarded for a bold solo breakaway, signaling his promise to the cycling world.

The rookie powered away on the Suc au May climb, which was making its debut on the 117-year-old Tour circuit, before extending his lead on the descent. Hirschi held off pursuers on the home stretch to arrive in Sarran with a comfortable lead of 47 seconds.

It was in stark contrast to Sunday, where Hirschi surrendered a four-minute lead on stage 9 as another breakaway failed to pay off. He’d also been pipped to the finish line on stage 2 in Nice. Holding on to first place in Sarran was redemption for the promising former Under-23 world champion.

“It’s hard to find words, it’s my first pro victory,” Hirschi said.

“I haven’t been sleeping well and I had a bad back but I said to myself just go for it. I never would have believed it and even in the final kilometre I still didn’t allow myself to hope.

“I was so close twice, so it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Roglic retains yellow jersey

France’s Pierra Roland finished second with Soren Kragh Andersen of Denmark following in third. Julian Alaphilippe was long part of the main chase group but mechanical issues ended his challenge in the final stages.

Slovenian Primoz Roglic retained the yellow jersey as the overall leader. He holds a 21-second advantage over Colombia’s Egan Bernal, last year’s winner.

The next stage: There’s a tough test in store on stage 13 with the biggest elevation of the Tour and a total of 4,400 meters in climbing. The trek stretches 191 kilometers through the mountainous heart of the Massif Central, leaving from Chatel-Guyon towards a summit finish on the extinct volcano of Puy Mary. The favorites will have to be at the top of their game.

js / (dpa, Reuters)

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