Two major highlights of the World Cycling Championships are on the program on Sunday with the women's and men's elite time trials. What are the chances of a Swiss medal?
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- On Sunday, the two elite time trials are on the program at the World Cycling Championships in Zurich. The women will start at 12 noon in Gossau, while the men will tackle their race from 2.45 pm on the open track in Oerlikon.
- A Swiss medal in the women's race would be a big surprise. Hopes are pinned primarily on the men's duo of Stefan Küng and Stefan Bissegger.
- Cycling expert Henri Gammenthaler explains why he thinks Küng is more likely to make it onto the podium than Bissegger.
On the second day of the World Cycling Championships in Zurich, the elite time trials in the women's and men's races will be major highlights. The women's race kicks off at 12 noon in Gossau. The men will start at 2.45 pm on the Oerlikon open track. Both time trials finish at Sechseläutenplatz.
Stefan Küng as the great Swiss hope
Slovenia's Tour de France dominator Tadej Pogacar will not be competing in the time trial. Nevertheless, the men's field has a lot to offer. Belgian Remco Evenepoel, defending champion and Olympic champion, is the man to beat. If he wins the title, he would be the first man to become Olympic and world champion in the same year.
The biggest challenger is Britain's Joshua Tarling, last year's U23 time trial world champion. Behind him, Filippo Ganna is one of the hot medal candidates. The Italian has already won two World Championship gold medals in the time trial in 2020 and 21, but has not been in top form recently. Primoz Roglic, four-time Vuelta winner and 2021 Olympic time trial champion, is also among the favorites.
Henri Gammenthaler
Henri Gammenthaler analyzes the cycling action for "blue Sport". The Zurich native was once a rider himself and later a TV and radio pundit and commentator for the Tour de Suisse.
After the aforementioned quartet, the bookmakers see a Swiss rider: Stefan Küng, who recently took silver in this discipline at the European Championships. "Küng knows the course very well and he will be highly motivated in front of his home crowd. He knows that this is one of his last chances on the big stage," says Henri Gammenthaler in an interview with blue Sport. The cycling expert sees other riders such as Evenepoel, Tarling and Ganna as the top favorites. However, he definitely believes that Küng can make it onto the podium: "If everything goes right, he can win a medal. And the whole cycling scene would grant him that."
Stefan Bissegger, the second Swiss hope, considers Gammenthaler to be only an outsider in the medal fight. "It's a roller track, which doesn't necessarily play into his hands," explains Gammenthaler.
Marlen Reusser the big absentee
In the women's race, Grace Brown, Olympic champion in Paris, is the favorite to win the gold medal. Her biggest rivals are European champion Lotte Kopecky, Ellen van Dijk and Demi Vollering from the Netherlands as well as defending champion Chloé Dygert, third in Paris and already a time trial world champion in 2019.
The Swiss riders are not expected to finish on the podium. The absence of Marlen Reusser weighs heavily. A top ten finish would be a success for Elena Hartmann from Graubünden, who finished 17th in the Paris Olympics.
Jasmin Liechti will also be representing the Swiss colors. However, the athlete from Bern is classified as an U23 athlete. In contrast to the men, two sets of medals will be awarded in the women's race. The men's U23 time trial with Swiss hope Jan Christen will take place on Monday.
The Swiss squad for the World Cycling Championships in Zurich
- Men, elite: Stefan Küng, Stefan Bissegger, Silvan Dillier, Marc Hirschi, Johan Jacobs, Mauro Schmid, Yannis Voisard
- Women, elite: Elena Hartmann, Caroline Baur, Elise Chabbey, Noemi Rüegg
- Men, U23: Jan Christen, Fabian Weiss, Fabio Christen
- Women, U23: Jasmin Liechti, Linda Zanetti
- Men, U19: Nicolas Ginter, Nicolas Halter, Nicola Zumsteg, Nicolas Bialon, two further starting places to be allocated
- Women, U19: Muriel Furrer, Lara Liehner, Chiara Mettier, Sirin Städler
- Men, Para-Cycling: Fabio Bernasconi, Roger Bolliger, Timothy Zemp, Benjamin Früh, Fabian Kieliger, Tobias Lötscher, Fabian Recher, Yves Schmied, Alain Tuor, Micha Wäfler
- Women, Para-Cycling: Franziska Matile-Dörig, Flurina Rigling, Celine van Till, Sandra Stöckli
