Marc Hirschi solos to victory at Per Sempre Alfredo

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Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) opened his 2022 racing account with a victory at the Per Sempre Alfredo, soloing to the win eight kilometres from the finish of the hilly one-day race.

Dion Smith (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Remy Mertz (Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces-WB) rounded out the podium in the sprint just seconds behind the Swiss rider, who had missed the early part of the season due to a hip operation.

Hirschi's win is UAE Team Emirates' 20th of the new season and the fourth of his career, following a stage of the Tour de France, La Flèche Wallonne, and a stage of last year's Tour de Luxembourg.

The Swiss rider managed to create a 10-second gap to the lead group with an attack over the third and final climb of the Collina, just outside Sesto Fiorentino. He held a similarly small gap all the way to line, managing to hold off a small group of chasers to claim victory.

"I'm really delighted with this win, it means a lot," Hirschi said after the race. "I've worked so hard together with my team over the past months to come back and it makes me really happy to do it like this.

"I have to thank my team for their confidence and for all the work they've done in getting me to this point. Watching the team achieving everything they have this season was huge motivation while I was on the sidelines and it feels great to be back with them in the peloton again."

Hirschi's UAE Team Emirates squad had controlled the race for much of the day, while out front the breakaway of Didier Merchan (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli) and Lorenzo Milesi (Italy) gained five minutes before getting caught 37 kilometres from home.

At 22 kilometres to go a six-man group – including Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bora-Hansgrohe), Filippo Fiorelli (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) and Marco Canola (Italy) tried a move, but they too were caught just before the final climb where Hirschi made his race-winning jump.

The 173-kilometre race, set largely in the Appennine foothills to the north of Florence, was the second edition of Per Sempre 'Forever' Alfredo, named for longstanding former Italian national coach – and Sesto Fiorentino native – Alfredo Martini.