The Olympic Games and Stefan Küng - it hasn't been a love affair so far. In Paris, the professional cyclist from Thurgau wants to make up for past bad luck. He is one of the medal contenders in the time trial.
Stefan Küng has been one of the best time trialists for years. The 30-year-old professional cyclist from Thurgau has already won numerous medals at world and European championships, but he is still waiting for the big one. More than once, the luck of the seconds was not on his side.
Küng had a particularly bitter experience in the 2021 Olympic time trial in Tokyo. He missed out on a medal by just four tenths of a second over an hour. Now he wants to complete his collection in Paris, preferably with gold. In an interview with Keystone-SDA, he talks about the recipe for success, his new time trial bike, dealing with pressure and explains why he would rather finish tenth than fourth again.
Stefan Küng, how would you describe your relationship with the Olympic Games?
"My personal Olympic story started very rough. In 2016, I qualified for Rio with the track foursome. I then got injured shortly before the Games. I had to watch from the sofa at home. That was a tough moment because it also marked the end of my career as a track cyclist. I was denied a crowning finale.
Then came Tokyo and corona. The Games were postponed by a year. What was actually unthinkable beforehand wasn't necessarily bad for me. Physically, I was in better shape in 2021 than in 2020. Unfortunately, I missed out on a medal in the time trial by 0.4 seconds. So I still have unfinished business with the Olympic Games."
Do you often think back to that day because it was so close?
"No, except when I'm asked about it again, like now. It's not that I look back with bitterness, not at all. It is what it is. You can't change the verdict in hindsight anyway. The good thing is that you get another chance."
How do you remember this frustrating moment?
"At first, I didn't even realize how close it really was. At the finish line, I thought it would have been enough for 5th or 6th place, I had no idea. It was only when Thomas Peter (the team manager of Swiss Cycling in Tokyo - ed.) showed me the result that I realized how bitter it was. You get the feeling that you've missed out on something. I don't want to be in that situation again, where I have the feeling that I could have gained another 0.4 seconds here or there. That's why I say to myself in Paris: all-in. I'd rather finish tenth and take a very aggressive approach in terms of pacing strategy than finish fourth again. Sure, that's an Olympic diploma. Mine came in the post at some point and is now lying around the office. But it's not something you hang up, especially not when it has a 4th place on it."
A new time trial bike will ensure that such a déjà vu does not occur. It bears the name "Supersonica" - supersonic. What is this high-tech product, which you describe as a "wonder weapon", all about?
"The aim was to develop a new time trial bike for me for Paris. But then my team Groupama-FDJ changed bike supplier for this season. You have to know: A project like this normally takes a year and a half until the end product is ready for racing. When the new contract with the Wilier brand was signed in August, there were only eight months left. The aim was to produce not just a competitive bike, but the fastest time trial bike in the world. It is therefore all the more impressive that they have achieved this. Admittedly: I approached the project with a certain amount of skepticism at the beginning, but this later turned into a positive mood and finally into anticipation. I've never felt like this on a time trial bike before."
You once said: "Even with the fastest bike in the world, you need good legs." What has to come together on day X for everything to work out?
"Ultimately, you have to be in top physical condition. In the time trial, it's very important that you get into the flow, that everything harmonizes perfectly. So that you can really deliver what you can do, your 100 percent. I think that's what it's all about. That's what the whole preparation is geared towards."
With success comes pressure and expectations. How do you deal with that?
"I'd be lying if I said: 'It doesn't affect me at all'. But ultimately you have to turn it around. All the people behind the project believe in you and have gone full throttle in the development because they believe you can do it. This is not happening because they somehow pulled your name out of a pot. This is based on the trust that I have earned in the past with my achievements. When I realize that everyone is really getting behind it, I draw additional motivation from that. In that sense, the pressure also has positive aspects."
If you could choose: Olympic gold in Paris or the World Championship title in Zurich in September. Which would you choose?
"I would take the Olympic medal because it's something bigger than our sport itself. The home World Championships will certainly also be very special, with the home advantage and everything that goes with it. I'm also really looking forward to that. But the Olympic Games trigger something else that is unique. An Olympic medal is what I'm still missing. That's the big goal for me this summer."
