Stefan Küng

This is the page about Stefan Küng. The Swiss classic rider and time trial specialist competes on the road for Groupama-FDJ. IDLProCycling.com keeps a close eye on all news related to Küng, along with maintaining a biography of his career.

Stefan Küng, a Swiss cyclist born on November 16, 1993, in Wil, Switzerland, embarked on his professional cycling journey in 2015 with the BMC Racing Team. He secured his first professional victory in the Netherlands, winning the 2015 Volta Limburg Classic in Limburg. That same month, he continued with the first of what is now five stage wins in his native Switzerland. Three of those victories were in the Tour de Romandie, with the remaining two achieved in the Tour of Switzerland. Küng mostly won these stages through breakaways, proving almost unbeatable on home soil, especially in the rain.

Küng raced for four years with BMC. At the end of 2018, he moved to his current team, Groupama-FDJ. There, he evolved into one of the best time trialists in the current peloton. He enjoyed particular success in the European Championships, in both 2020 and 2021. The World Time Trial Championship title still eludes the Swiss, although he came very close to wearing the rainbow jersey in 2022. A disappointed Küng finished second, just three seconds behind Jumbo-Visma's Tobias Foss. Weeks later, he got revenge by defeating Foss in the French time trial Chrono des Nations.

Besides his prowess in time trials, Küng is also a formidable contender in the spring classics, particularly feeling at home in the cobblestone classics. In 2022, this culminated in his best result in a Monument, finishing an impressive third in Paris-Roubaix, behind Dylan van Baarle and Wout van Aert. It was the highlight of a strong and consistent spring, where Küng finished among the top ten riders in the E3 Saxo Classic, Dwars door Vlaanderen, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and the Amstel Gold Race.

In 2023, Stefan Küng continued to impress with Groupama-FDJ, showcasing his strength, finishing sixth in both the E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders and fifth in Paris-Roubaix, setting high expectations for the Giro d'Italia. Küng aimed for the pink jersey in the opening time trial but was bested by Remco Evenepoel, only managing to clock the fifth-fastest time. He later finished fourth in another Giro time trial but ultimately withdrew to focus on the Tour of Switzerland. There, he triumphantly beat Evenepoel and Wout van Aert in the opening time trial stage. Küng then participated in his seventh Tour de France but failed to make a significant impact. However, he achieved success in the fall, becoming the world champion with Switzerland in the mixed relay and finishing a commendable fifth in the road race.

However, the most unforgettable episode of Küng's year occurred at the European Championships in Drenthe. A brutal crash on a straightaway led to a collision with the barriers, resulting in a concussion and multiple fractures. Despite a concussion and multiple fractures, Küng still managed to cross the finish line in eleventh place.