The Tour de France in front of him, the Olympic Games in the back of his mind: Thurgau time trial specialist Stefan Küng is facing an exciting few weeks of racing
Image: Keystone
Stefan Bissegger (in the pink jersey of EF Education), also a strong time trialist from Thurgau, is competing in his third Tour de France
Image: Keystone
Silvan Dillier takes time for a selfie with young fans at the Tour de Suisse
Image: Keystone
Will not be competing in a Grand Tour this year either Marc Hirschi, the last Swiss stage winner at the Tour de France in 2020
Image: Keystone
Fabian Cancellara is the Swiss rider with the most days (29) in the maillot jaune
Image: Keystone
The Tour de France in front of him, the Olympic Games in the back of his mind: Thurgau time trial specialist Stefan Küng is facing an exciting few weeks of racing
Image: Keystone
Stefan Bissegger (in the pink jersey of EF Education), also a strong time trialist from Thurgau, is competing in his third Tour de France
Image: Keystone
Silvan Dillier takes time for a selfie with young fans at the Tour de Suisse
Image: Keystone
Will not be competing in a Grand Tour this year either Marc Hirschi, the last Swiss stage winner at the Tour de France in 2020
Image: Keystone
Fabian Cancellara is the Swiss rider with the most days (29) in the maillot jaune
Image: Keystone
Three Swiss riders are among the 176 professional cyclists taking on the 111th Tour de France in Florence on Saturday.
29.06.2024, 06:01
29.06.2024, 08:32
SDA
Stefan Küng, Stefan Bissegger and Silvan Dillier are valued above all for their qualities as helpers, but not only that. An overview of the roles and freedoms of the three Swiss starters in this year's Tour de France.
Stefan Küng: The most experienced
Stefan Küng has not missed a Tour de France since 2017. At 30 years old and seven participations, the rider from eastern Switzerland is one of the most experienced in the peloton. Racing in the French national colors of royal blue, white and red, he also enjoys a certain home advantage as part of the French team Groupama-FDJ. With his experience, Küng is predestined to steer his team through tricky situations. Above all, David Gaudu, France's greatest hope in the overall classification, who recently had to take a break due to a corona infection, must be protected in the hectic stages on the flat.
Küng himself wants to use the next three weeks to get himself in optimal shape for his big goal this year, the Olympic Games in Paris. "I will certainly have more freedom than in recent years," says the most successful active Swiss professional cyclist when asked about his role in the team. There will be certain days when he can take it relatively easy. On other days, he will put himself at the service of the team. But he doesn't want to settle for that. "My goal is to win a stage," says Küng, who came close in 2017 and 2021 as runner-up. His best chances are in the two time trials in stage 7 and on the final day. Just six days after the end of the Tour, the medals will be awarded in the Olympic time trial in Paris.
Stefan Bissegger: The rouleur
Stefan Bissegger is often easy to spot in the peloton in his pink kit from EF Education-EasyPost. The man from Thurgau will be seen above all when it comes to closing holes or bolting on speed. With his strong rolling skills, the 2022 European time trial champion is perfect for this. His bosses know that too.
Bissegger was on a list of twelve riders who were considered for participation in the Tour. However, it had been clear for some time that he would be part of the American team's eight-man squad. "I'm the only helper on the road," Bissegger said. After 2021 and 2022, the 25-year-old will be taking part in the Tour of France for the third time. Bissegger's selection for Paris 2024, which was announced on Thursday, should give him an additional boost. The Summer Games offer him another stage, as his contract expires at the end of the year.
Silvan Dillier: The trailblazer
It is also unclear what will happen to Silvan Dillier after this season. It is possible that his fifth participation in the Grande Boucle, the fourth in a row, will be his last. The 33-year-old from Aargau rides for Team Alpecin-Deceuninck alongside two absolute top stars: world champion Mathieu van der Poel from the Netherlands is always good for a stage win, as is the Belgian top sprinter Jasper Philipsen.
The fact that the latter was able to celebrate four times in a sprint finish last year was also thanks to Dillier. The two-time Swiss champion tirelessly did his job when it came to keeping the pace high in the final stages of the flat stages in order to thwart escape attempts or close gaps. The runner-up of Paris - Roubaix 2018 will hardly be able to ride on his own account, but that doesn't bother him. "It's nice to be in France in the summer," says Dillier, looking forward to the spectacle.
