Stefan Küng, he's got it! The 30-year-old Swiss rider from Groupama-FDJ seemed doomed for years when it came to stage wins in a Grand Tour, but after so many second places and near-misses, he finally struck convincingly in the 21st stage of the Vuelta a España on Sunday. "Fi-nal-ly", Küng began meaningfully in the flash interview, following a commanding victory in the time trial.
“I’ve been fighting for this for a long time, so I really wanted to win today,” he continued, admitting that he went all-in. “With this course, I knew I had to start fast and then try to hold on until the end. I suffered a lot, but that was the case for everyone after such a tough Vuelta. I am so happy with my first stage win in a Grand Tour; I’ve had to wait a long time for it.”
“A masterpiece?” the interviewer then asked, referring to his nearly 31-second lead over second-place Primoz Roglic... “It’s always nice when you win by more than half a minute; it shows that I was absolutely the best and that this was no fluke. That’s great, especially because it rewards all the work we, as a team, put into the time trials. We did everything we could, together with our bike brand, Willier, and I always give everything and try to be professional. Getting the maximum out of myself feels good.”
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Küng builds confidence ahead of World Championships on home soil
The timing couldn’t be better, as with the European and World Championships approaching, Küng seems ready to go for medals in the time trial. "There are big events coming up, and now that I’m gaining confidence here, I want to keep riding this wave. The Vuelta was the best possible preparation for the World Championships, and now it’s a matter of recovering. I don’t need to look for motivation with the World Championships in Zurich. I want to keep going like this."
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