Swiss cyclist Marc Hirschi joins Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar at UAE Team Emirates

Abu Dhabi: After a breakout season in 2020, Swiss cyclist Marc Hirschi has joined Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar at UAE Team Emirates, the team said Saturday. Hirschi signed a three-year deal, the team said in a statement. It followed his exit on Tuesday from the team known last season as Sunweb. The 22-year-old Swiss left his former team one year before the expiration of a contract with a basic salary reportedly of around just 30,000 euros ($36,500). He is managed by Fabian Cancellara, the retired Swiss great who won multiple one-day classic races and two Olympic titles in the time trial. Hirschi’s strong end to the 2020 season included winning a stage at the delayed Tour, the overall award as the most aggressive rider, plus his first one-day classic victory at the Flèche Wallonne in Belgium. He also finished runner-up at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic and took bronze at the World Championships.