Interview with European time trial champion Stefan Küng - Stefan Küng: A born time trialist
Jens Vögele
· 09.06.2021
Stefan Küng is one of the top favourites for the two Tour de France time trials in 2021. The Swiss rider makes no secret of the fact that he wants to win them. The 28-year-old has been riding for the Groupama-FDJ team since 2019 and is ideally placed to reach for the stars. And Küng doesn't just want to do that in the Tour.
You can find a detailed view of Stefan Küng's time trial bike from Lapierre here here.
TOUR: You were world champion on the track in the individual pursuit in 2015 and are considered one of the best time trialists in the peloton. What is the attraction for you of racing alone against the clock?
Stefan Küng: I've always been fascinated by time trials, I loved watching them on TV - long before I realised that I would pursue a career as a professional. But I'm also the type of rider who likes to go it alone. I was never the fastest sprinter, which is why I tried to break away early on in races and finish solo. What fascinates me about time trialling is that it is pure power, that it depends on individual strength.
How did you realise that you particularly enjoy time trials?
I started cycling purely for fun. And because there was no history of cycling in my family, I wasn't as tactically adept in my younger years. However, in the juniors on the track, and especially in the individual pursuit, I quickly realised that I could be competitive and successful. After all, time trialling on the road was only the logical consequence of this. For me, unlike many others, it was never a torture to have to sit on a time trial bike. On the contrary: I enjoyed it immensely right from the start. I can actually say that my love of time trialling has been with me ever since I started cycling seriously.
Is this just to do with pure power, as you say, or does the special aesthetics of time trialling also play a role?
When you're riding on the track, you focus very intensively on your position. You have to put your head down but still remain relaxed and make yourself as small as possible. And if you then want to transfer this to the time trial bike on the road, you naturally look at your reflection when you ride past a shop window - because you want to know what you look like. And when you see your shadow, you start to play with your shoulders to see if you can make yourself a bit smaller. Of course, time trialling is a very aesthetic discipline - and I think it's fair to say that those who are particularly beautiful on the bike are ultimately also particularly fast.
But figuratively speaking, you can also die in beauty ...
Of course, aesthetics aren't everything. I realised that above all when I became a professional and suddenly the financial resources became much greater. My first time in the wind tunnel at Mercedes - that was a cool thing. You can see exactly how the wind flows on the computer and you get constant input on what you can optimise. But I still watch my time trials again today. I can do style studies and pick out specific points that I can still optimise in training.
What role does the material, i.e. the bike and the technology, play?
The material is a huge factor in the time trial, although it is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's fascinating how you can always find points to improve, not only in the rider but also in the material. On the other hand, it is of course also a bit problematic, because top material can make a rider significantly better, but the best rider has no chance if the material is not right. At the World Championship in Yorkshire, for example, I wanted to start with profiled rain tyres instead of slicks because of the wet conditions. In the end I finished tenth, although my performance figures were top. In the last 15 kilometres, for example, I lost 45 seconds to Alex Dowsett. I mean 45 seconds: that's worlds! And that was on a section of the course that suited me. Just because I chose the wrong tyre.
How do you deal with such experiences?
At this level, you are mercilessly made aware that you don't really have any room for error. You have to take the time afterwards to analyse everything in detail with the team, learn from it and really work on all the details so that everything is right again for the next race.
Are you someone who delves deep into the technical details or do you rely on the team and the mechanics?
Both. But I rely on the people around me and can trust them completely. We can only be truly successful as a team. This includes, for example, those who run rolling resistance tests with countless different tyres. In the end, we professionals can concentrate on the few best tyres. We can rely on measurement data and then compare it with our experience and driving feel.
How is the interaction between you and the mechanics?
With Jurgen Landrie, I probably have the best time trial bike mechanic at my side. Basically, it's always about making the best of the material you have at your disposal. At Groupama-FDJ, we are lucky to have Shimano, Continental and Lapierre as our partners, who are absolute top suppliers. But we also have to find a set-up that allows us to get the best out of them.
You were already working with Jurgen Landrie before you switched to Groupama-FDJ. Was it important for you to be able to make the switch together with your trusted mechanic?
Yes, absolutely! We came from the BMC Racing Team, the best time trial team in the world at the time. The time trial DNA was deeply rooted in this team. And my goal was not to take a step backwards under any circumstances. Jurgen and I realised together that we found a great willingness at Groupama-FDJ to invest in the future and above all in the time trial - also in terms of equipment. It was clear to us that we could really step on the gas here together, also because we have a unique frame partner in Lapierre.
In what way?
Normally, engineers naturally want to make a bike as good and as fast as possible. But at some point, economic aspects come into play because bikes also have to be sold. At BMC, for example, this meant that the time trial bike was also built for triathletes and therefore had two positions for the seat post - which made the frame 500 grams heavier. At Lapierre, on the other hand, only the team specifies what it needs - and this is then implemented by the engineers without compromise. It is even demanded that we riders formulate our expectations of the bikes in detail - in order to continuously develop the bikes further. I don't know of any other team where athletes and engineers can work together so closely and so uncompromisingly.
What did this mean specifically for the development of your new time trial bike?
After the first 3D print, we ran a total of three prototypes. There were optimisations at every stage. The result is immense bottom bracket stiffness paired with comfort, direct cornering behaviour, manoeuvrability and perfect handling.
Sounds like it really isn't a pain for you to sit on this time trial bike.
Yes really! This is absolutely my dream bike.
What are the details that make it so special?
Visually, of course, it is a weapon. High-quality workmanship, optimised down to the last detail in the wind tunnel. But it's what's under the paintwork that counts. Carbon high-tech at its finest. The bike moves forwards. Completely direct. With every pedal stroke.
How much time do you spend on specific time trial training so that every pedal stroke results in speed?
I try to get on my time trial bike twice a week in my normal training routine, but I prioritise quality over quantity. If there are four hours on the schedule, it doesn't mean that I train for four hours on the time trial, but rather that I spend two hours concentrating on the details. But this year, with the Olympic Games, the focus is of course even more on time trial training than usual - with mobilisation exercises, special core and shoulder training and, of course, precise threshold intervals on the time trial bike. Especially now in the preparation phase for the Tour de France, this takes up more space than usual. Because when we're racing, of course we can't integrate things like that.
What specific goals do you have for the Tour de France, the World Championships and the Olympics?
I would love to win the time trials at the Tour de France. Of course, I also want to be on the podium at the World Championships. But my big goal this year is the Olympics, especially as I wasn't able to take part in the last Olympic Games in 2016 due to injury.
Does that mean you're aiming for the gold medal?
Every racing driver wants to win. Me too, of course. But many riders have big ambitions at the Olympics. Wout van Aert, Rohan Dennis, Filippo Ganna or Remco Evenepoel - the list is long. But I want to win a medal in Tokyo. And I'm going to give it my all over the next few weeks and months.
