Stefan Bissegger (left) and Stefan Küng inspect the course in the center of Paris
Image: Keystone
Stefan Küng (front) and Stefan Bissegger are impressed by the course after the inspection
Image: Keystone
Every detail has to be right: Stefan Küng with the Olympic helmet
Image: Keystone
Stefan Bissegger poses in front of the Olympic logo
Image: Keystone
Stefan Bissegger preparing for the start of training
Image: Keystone
Stefan Bissegger (left) and Stefan Küng inspect the course in the center of Paris
Image: Keystone
Stefan Küng (front) and Stefan Bissegger are impressed by the course after the inspection
Image: Keystone
Every detail has to be right: Stefan Küng with the Olympic helmet
Image: Keystone
Stefan Bissegger poses in front of the Olympic logo
Image: Keystone
Stefan Bissegger preparing for the start of training
Image: Keystone
After the withdrawals of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, there seems to be more room on the men's time trial podium on Saturday.
"Wrong," says Stefan Bissegger. "One way or another, everything has to fit together," adds Stefan Küng.
In 2021, Nina Christen broke the medal spell on the very first day and brought momentum to the entire Swiss Olympic campaign. Marlen Reusser should have done the same in 2024 - if her health had allowed it, she would have been the athlete with the best chance of winning a medal in the entire delegation. Now it is up to Stefan Küng or Stefan Bissegger to launch Paris 2024 from a Swiss perspective.
Both are aiming for a medal, but the bookmakers are clearly dividing the top three places between Joshua Tarling, Filippo Ganna and Remco Evenepoel: the Brit came third in the World Championships last year at the age of 19, the Italian is a four-time world champion in the individual pursuit on the track and two-time world champion in the individual time trial on the road, and the overall third in the Tour de France from Belgium can simply do everything and currently wears the rainbow jersey in the time trial.
Bissegger in the land of milk and honey
Of the two riders from Thurgau, Bissegger seems more confident and aggressive at the media meeting in Paris. "The course is great for me. There are only a few time trials like this left," he says. The 25-year-old, a member of the four-man track team in Tokyo 2021, is clearly enjoying the task immediately after the training lap on the 32.4 km course: "Few difficult bends, hardly any climbs, just the way I like it."
"Pogacar and Vingegaard are able to recover better than others between stages. That's why they are ahead there," says Bissegger. In addition, the often hilly profile during a Tour puts the classic time trialists at a disadvantage. "But the cards are reshuffled here," emphasizes the European champion from Munich 2022. "Flat. And everyone is well rested." Ten riders are in contention for the podium. Bissegger mentions that Küng has never lost to Pogacar on a course like this, as long as they are both well rested.
Küng sick twice
The man in question can only accept the steep pass to a limited extent. The 30-year-old Küng is struggling with the health problems that caused him problems before the Tour de Suisse (bronchitis including fever) and now with his early exit from the Tour de France. "Seven days ago, I didn't feel like I could ride through Paris at full speed at all," he says. "But now I feel quite fresh."
That doesn't sound very convincing, especially as he also says: "I needed the days after the Tour to get better. I hope I've got it behind me. It is what it is. I'm making the best of it. My strengths are also routine and composure."
Küng performed better than Bissegger in the serious competitions (over longer distances) this season. He clearly won the Swiss Championships. And he was also ahead of his colleague in the first time trial at the Tour de France, despite experiencing technical problems - the chain did not jump from the large to the small crown. "That can't happen here, I only ride with one chainring," says Küng.
The Olympic fourth-placer from Tokyo doesn't want to dwell on the games in Japan, where he missed out on bronze by just four tenths of a second. "Things move on quickly in our sport, the next race is just around the corner". That's why he's not looking for revenge here, come hell or high water. "I just know that if everything comes together, I'll get the chance to win a medal here again."
