"If I fall short today, there is no reason to panic" - Stefan Küng admits illness may hamper Omloop Het Nieuwsblad plans

The cobbled classics campaign starts today and Stefan Küng is set to be one of the most important and dangerous riders on the field. For Omloop Het Nieuwsblad however this may not be the case as the Swiss is recovering from an ilness.

“Unfortunately I was a little sick this week. We doubted until the last minute whether or not to start. I will do my best, but I have doubts," Küng revealed to Sporza at the start of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Küng finishes third at Paris-Roubaix last year, to conclude a campaign that also included strong results at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Tour des Flandres. He's leading the French team alongside Kévin Geniets and possibly Jake Stewart today, and the trio has some chances of succeeding.

The Groupama-FDJ rider won't stress however if it is not the case. “The intention is to peak later in the season. The real goals are the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix and they are still almost a month and a half away from us. If I fall short today, there is no reason to panic," Küng concluded.