"If the helmet is broken, the rider has to stop. Period. There is no leeway" - Swiss Cycling director regrets Stefan Küng's continuation after crash at European Championships
Cycling
Earlier this year at the European Championships, there was a scary and as it turns out, very contentious incident when Swiss hopeful Stefan Küng crashed hard in the individual time-trial.
Despite being covered in his own blood and his helmet having completely snapped open, Küng was allowed to remount his bike and continue on to the finish line, eventually finishing in 11th place as Joshua Tarling took the title. The fact he was allowed to carry on after such a brutal crash though, was incredibly controversial as the managing director of Swiss Cycling, Thomas Peter admits to Blick.
"We have to learn from this. This must not happen to us in the future," he evaluates with regret. "Looking back, the trainers who were in the car behind Stefan Küng should have taken him out of the race. If the helmet is broken, the rider has to stop. Period. There is no leeway. Everyone in the association has been made aware of this."
Küng, who suffered a concussion and fractures to his cheek and hands, also commented on the incident. "If so, then the race stewards should have done it." For himself and the team, "it was about getting back on the bike as quickly as possible. You just function and don't think about what could happen," said the 29-year-old.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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