Marc Hirsch has signed with UAE Team Emirates, it was announced on Saturday.

The rising Swiss star, who won a stage at this year's Tour de France, left Team DSM in a shock exit announced earlier this week.

After speculation over his future, UAE Team Emirates announced on Saturday that the 22-year-old had joined the team. He signed a three-year contract and has already attended training camps in the UAE.

"First of all, I would like to thank my former team for all they have done for me over the past three years. I have decided to move to the UAE team Emirates. I am very excited about this move," Hirschi said.

"We share the same approach and goals, the UAE Team is moving in the right direction and has grown a lot in the last few years. I look forward to benefiting from that dynamism, both for the team and for my own career development."

"I will now focus on training camp, getting to know and familiarize myself with everyone, this will be my first visit to the UAE and I am looking forward to discovering the country."

Hirschi's departure from Team DSM (formerly Team Sunweb) was announced by the team on Tuesday, stating that the team had "reached a settlement" to terminate Hirschi's contract effective immediately. The reason for the contract termination was not disclosed.

Hirschi turned pro with the team in 2019 after winning the U23 road race title at the UCI World Championships in Austria. After an eye-catching neo-pro campaign, he followed up his success at the Tour de France with a win at La Flèche Wallonne in 2020 and podium finishes at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the elite world championship road race, catapulting him to the top of the sport.

For UAE Team Emirates, he will team up with Tour de France champion Tadej Pogachal, who could lead the line in the Ardennes Classics after a podium finish in Liège this year. Hirschi will be aiming for the cobbled classic with a team that also includes newcomers Matteo Trentin and Alexander Kristoff.

Hirschi will be coached by his compatriot and multiple Monument winner Fabian Cancellara: "How proud I am of the boy from my town Ittigen. Working with an athlete like Marc adds another dimension to my career in professional cycling.

"As an advisor, it is important to me to be able to work in an environment where athletes are challenged and encouraged in equal measure. And I know that this is exactly what he will find in his new team."