La préparation du Tour des Flandres c'est aussi ça : du home trainer dans un garage. Comme un retour aux sources.
"I’m trying to aim for more this year" - Stefan Küng looks to turn 2022 consistency into a big win on the cobbles this season
CyclingSaturday, 01 April 2023 at 13:00
In 2022 Stefan Küng was third at Paris-Roubaix and the E3 Saxo Classic, fifth at the Tour of Flanders and sixth at Dwars door Vlaanderen. A very consistent figure who has been showing his true form again this spring, but he's hoping to turn it into a big victory this time around, and De Ronde will be an opportunity.
“You don’t question yourself about whether you’re going to be up there anymore, because you know you’re going to be up there now. But you always want more. Last year, I was on the podium twice, in Harelbeke and Roubaix, so I’m trying to aim for more this year," Küng told Cyclingnews.
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The Groupama - FDJ rider will co-lead the team alongside Valentin Madouas who was third last year. Both have been displaying good form, but the Swiss has achieved the best result at the E3 Saxo Classic as he rode to sixth on the day. Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen didn't see the 29-year old ride as strongly, but he is expected to be an outsider candidate for the upcoming race.
“I think Flanders is a different race, it’s quite a bit harder in the sense that the finale lasts over 100km. Right now, it’s hard to say, because if they just go on the Koppenberg, then it becomes physical, and it’s a case of whoever can follow, follows. But we have several cards for sure, and this is what makes it good for us," he continues.
The Swiss powerhouse also counts on the lack of pressure the team has. Whilst Jumbo-Visma and Tadej Pogacar come into the race with the responsibility to attack, the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, the Groupama - FDJ duo and others can benefit from the more modest status. "We’re a good team but we’re not the big favourite, so we have to take advantage by maybe anticipating and so on, instead of looking at the others," he argued. "That way we’re up there when they charge from behind."
Although Flanders is a big goal, his eyes also lay on next week's race in Paris-Roubaix where his chances should be higher. "Paris-Roubaix is still my favourite race, I’m really looking forward to it already. But first we have the Tour of Flanders, so we’ll give it our all," he concluded.
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