"I don’t think there’s anyone who loves riding on the cobbles because it’s painful and if they say they love it then it’s a lie" - Stefan Bissegger on his love-hate relationship with cobblestones

Although time-trial specialist Stefan Bissegger wasn't at his best in 2023, the 25-year-old Swiss is confident of bouncing back in 2024 and he's targeting more than just success against the clock.

“I was missing quite a bit in the time trials, which was about eight per cent down on power. That’s really a lot when you consider that half a per cent can decide on a time trial. It was a frustration but now we’re ready for an important season that includes the Olympics and home Worlds,” the EF Education-EasyPost rider tells GCN.

More than just time-trials, Bissegger is keen to show himself in the Spring Classics, most notably on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix. "I have Paris-Roubaix which is going to be my first big goal. I really like Roubaix but this year I had really bad luck in Dwars door Vlaanderen, where I broke my radius, and had surgery. I had to watch Flanders and Roubaix on television, which was frustrating but I know that Paris-Roubaix is a race that suits me. If I’m in good shape then I know I can do well there,” he explains. “Love is probably the wrong word. I’m just good on the cobbles. In the race, I hate it because it’s painful and everything hurts but you’re so proud when you do a good result there. It’s more love-hate. I don’t think there’s anyone who loves riding on the cobbles because it’s painful and if they say they love it then it’s a lie. I think they love to be fast on the cobbles and to drop others."

"The spirit after the race is always much nicer when look back but when you’re doing the recon you’ve forgotten how hard it was and you’re getting blisters on your hands. It’s just nice to perform in a race like that," continues Bissegger. “I’ve had one good finish, in 2021 when I was in the break and finished 21st with a broken scaphoid. That was painful but it showed that I was nearly there. Then the year after I made a little mistake and missed the group but I just need to get my head around it and be in the right place. You need to be in the right spot, at the right moment and on the right wheel.”