Sarran (France) (AFP)

A revealer of talents, the Tour de France on Thursday devoted a young 22-year-old Swiss, Marc Hirschi, winner of the 12th stage on the rugged terrain of Corrèze, in the village of Sarran.

Having come close to victory twice since leaving Nice, Hirschi has finally touched on goal.

He concluded the work of the Sunweb team with an attack 28 kilometers from the finish, in the rise of Suc au May, a wall which dominates the Massif des Monédières.

Without consequences for the top of the general classification still commanded by the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, the stage, the longest of this edition (218 km), confirmed the qualities of Hirschi, European and world champion hopes in 2018, neophyte on the Tour.

"This is my first professional victory and it is coming to the Tour de France!", Said the Swiss, the first rider from his country to win a stage since his mentor Fabian Cancellara (against the clock in Liège in 2012), his manager since last year.

- Alaphilippe struggles in vain -

Hirschi beat Frenchman Pierre Rolland by around fifty seconds, in the vanguard of a pursuit group set up by Dane Soeren Kragh Andersen.

"Hirschi was very strong, we rode fast in our group but we didn't get anything back from him. At 5 or 6 kilometers from the finish, we understood that we would play second place," said Rolland.

In this group, Julian Alaphilippe struggled in vain.

The Frenchman reached the late arrival, hampered by what appeared to be another mechanical incident.

"I had the impression that my bike was no longer moving, but in fact it was just me who was no longer moving", however admitted the French after arriving at the microphone of France Television.

Roglic and the field favorites crossed the line again later, more than two minutes after the winner.

"We expected an easier stage", soberly commented Roglic, still not very verbose.

In the small village of Sarran, stronghold of former president Jacques Chirac, Hirschi expressed his relief: "In the end, I had in mind the messages sent by my family. I did not want to spend a third time in side."

In this Tour, in fact, the Swiss have already come close to victory twice.

At the arrival of the second stage in Nice, in a lost sprint against Alaphilippe.

Then in the second Pyrenean day on Sunday, in Laruns, where he was joined only in the final by the strongmen of the Tour (3rd behind Pogacar and Roglic).

- The new triumphant generation -

"I doubted until the last kilometer", admitted the winner of the day, whose success was hailed from all sides.

"He was the strongest," admitted Alaphilippe who will no doubt be called upon in the future to find the Swiss on his way in the big one-day races.

In the tradition of the Belgian prodigy Remco Evenepoel (20 years old), so far the most impressive of all, and the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (21 years), Hirschi symbolizes a new generation which triumphs without delay.

Last year, in his first professional season, he placed third in the Clasica San Sebastian, a performance eclipsed by Evenepoel's victory that day.

As proof of his relaxed attitude, he answered directly to a question about the rest of the Tour: "I didn't look at the road book very well. I like to open it in the morning only and see what awaits us. , I don't like to project myself several days in advance. "

Friday, the 13th stage presents between Châtel-Guyon (Puy-de-Dôme) and Puy Mary (Cantal), the most important elevation gain of this edition, 4400 meters, over 191.5 kilometers.

Seven climbs are present on the course which ends with the climb to Pas de Peyrol, very steep in its final part and classified in the first category.

© 2020 AFP