Marc Hirschi will join the Swiss Olympic Games road race team in Paris after a late call-up following Stefan Bissegger's withdrawal due to back pain.
Bissegger, who finished sixth in the 32.4km individual time trial on Saturday, was originally slated to race alongside Stefan Küng in the 273km road race on August 3rd. However, he has been battling back pain since the Tour de France.
"Since the end of the Tour de France a week ago, the 25-year-old from Thurgau has been suffering from muscle pain in his back, which is a result of the high level of exertion," said a statement from Swiss Cycling. "Bissegger was able to overcome this pain in the Olympic time trial on Saturday. However, he is unable to withstand a longer period of exertion."
Hirschi, who was named as a reserve when the Swiss team was announced in June, will now fill Bissegger's spot. Swiss Cycling has initiated the Late Athlete Replacement Process for Hirschi, and he will team up with Küng in the pursuit of Olympic medals.
Both riders will be competing in their second Olympic Games road race, having previously raced together in Tokyo in 2021. Hirschi, who had a successful 2020 season with a Tour de France stage win and La Flèche Wallonne victory, had a quieter 2021. He finished 25th in the climb-heavy Olympic road race in Tokyo, the best result for Switzerland.
This time, Hirschi enters the Games on the back of a strong season, having won the Faun Drôme Classic in February, finished second at the Amstel Gold Race in April, and claimed overall victory at the Czech Tour on Sunday with a stage win and two second-place finishes.
The last Swiss rider to win an Olympic medal in the men's road race was Fabian Cancellara, who took silver in Beijing in 2008. Cancellara also won gold in the time trial twice, in 2008 and 2016. Küng narrowly missed a time trial medal in Tokyo, finishing fourth and just four-tenths of a second off the podium.
Marlen Reusser, who won silver in the time trial in Tokyo, had to withdraw from the Paris Olympic team due to a lingering illness. Jolanda Neff, the 2021 Olympic champion in the cross-country mountain bike, also had to relinquish her spot due to breathing issues.
Despite these setbacks, Switzerland will be hoping for medal success in the upcoming cycling events. Nino Schurter and Mathias Flückiger will lead the charge in the men's cross-country mountain bike race on Monday, July 29th.
