Marc Hirschi will join the Swiss team in Paris, straight from his overall Czech Tour win with UAE Team Emirates.

Bissegger, who finished sixth in Saturday's 32.4km individual time trial, was scheduled to race with Stefan Küng in the 273km event on August 3, but was suffering from back pain.

"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. Bissegger was able to overcome this pain during Saturday's Olympic time trial. However, he cannot tolerate longer periods of exercise."

Hirschi, who was named as a reserve when the Swiss team was announced at the end of June, will shift in place of Bissegger. Swiss Cycling announced that a late replacement process had begun for Hirschi, and the 25-year-old will be paired with Kühn, who "will be in contention for a medal on Saturday."

Both riders will line up at the start line in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower for their second Olympic road race. Hirschi had won stages of the Tour de France and La Flèche Wallonne the previous season, but had a quiet 2021.

This time Hirschi has had a solid season with a win at the Von Drome Classic in February, second place at the Amstel Gold Race in April, and an overall win, a stage win, and two stage runner-ups in the four-stage Czech Tour on Sunday.

The last Swiss rider to win a medal in an Olympic men's road race was Fabian Cancellara, who won silver in Beijing in 2008. Cancellara also won gold in the time trial twice, in 2008 and 2016. Kühn, on the other hand, finished fourth in the time trial at the Tokyo Olympics, just four-tenths of a second off the podium and out of medal contention. However, Marlen Reuser did contribute to the Swiss team by winning the time trial silver medal in Tokyo. Yolanda Neff, the 2021 Olympic champion in mountain bike cross-country, also bowed out before the Games due to breathing problems; Nino Schluter and Matthias Flückiger will lead the way in the men's mountain bike cross-country on Monday, July 29.