Stefan Küng secured a silver medal at the European Championships time trial in Hasselt, but he wasn’t overly concerned about the result. “When you’ve been European champion twice, you want to win again, but in the end it’s a race against the clock and the clock doesn’t lie,” Küng remarked after finishing behind Italy’s Edoardo Affini. “Sometimes it’s better to be behind in the rehearsal and then save everything for the big one, because Zurich is obviously the big goal.”
The World Championships on home roads, the first in Switzerland since 2009, have been the main focus for Küng. On Sunday afternoon, he will be amongst the top contenders for the individual time trial title. After securing bronze in Imola in 2020 and silver in Wollongong two years ago, Küng now aims for the rainbow jersey.
However, global championships have not always been kind to the Swiss rider. He narrowly missed out on a bronze in the time trial at the Tokyo Olympics by just 0.4 of a second. He faced further challenges at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where illness affected his performance, leading to an eighth-place finish in the time trial and seventh in the road race.
Road to Recovery and Vuelta a España
Despite these setbacks, Küng decided to continue his season by making his debut at the Vuelta a España. “My summer was not great,” Küng told Cyclingnews at the end of the Vuelta. “The preparation leading up to the Tour de Suisse and Tour de France was already interrupted by sickness, and then I got COVID. Then I got stomach problems in the Olympic Games, so I just wanted to feel good again. That’s what I felt I was doing on the Vuelta. I’m feeling like myself again, I’m on my level again, and this racing is fun.”
Küng was highly active during the Vuelta, showcasing aggressive racing and notable climbing performances. However, his primary focus was the flat final time trial in Madrid. He excelled, beating Primoz Roglič by half a minute to claim his first Grand Tour stage victory.
European Championships and Upcoming Worlds
This victory boosted Küng’s morale ahead of the World Championships. Reflecting on his European Championships performance, Küng said, “I had good legs, but it felt like I did maybe too much climbing in the last three weeks.”
Sunday’s time trial course in Zurich, which is both longer and hillier, will be a different challenge. The 46km route starts from Oerlikon, features a rugged middle section, and finishes along the shores of Lake Zurich. “The time trial course is a really long one. There’s a flat section first, then a section with some hills, and then the last part is flat again,” Küng explained. “So you have to ride it in three parts – and it’s a real TT, eh.”
The competition will be fierce, even with Wout van Aert out due to injury, and with Josh Tarling and Filippo Ganna yet to confirm their participation. Reigning champion Remco Evenepoel and Roglič will be there, but Küng advises against focusing too much on the competition. “I have to focus on myself,” Küng said. “I know there is going to be a high-level field. Maybe one or two guys will be missing, but that’s always the case, and it’s always going to be hard to win.”
Road Race and Team Dynamics
Küng has already secured world titles in the mixed team relay, but his participation in the home event is not certain without Marlen Reusser. The road race the following Sunday is another goal, especially given his past successes, including a bronze in Yorkshire in 2019 and fifth place in Glasgow last year.
Despite illness, Küng finished seventh in the road race at the Paris 2024 Olympics. His climbing strength shown at the Vuelta should help him tackle the 4,400m of altitude gain in the road race, which includes seven laps over Zürichbergstrasse and Witikon. “I’ve seen from the past. I’ve been third at the Worlds, I’ve been fifth last year, I know how it’s done. I know in the long races I can do well,” Küng said. “First, the focus is on the time trial, and then there’s one week in between where I can focus on the road race. The Vuelta was the best preparation for the road race, because it’s going to be hard, with a lot of altitude metres, but it’s not going to be a pure climber’s race, so it’s a perfect lead-up to it.”
Main photo credit: Getty
