"It was difficult to get into the rhythm" - Remco Evenepoel misses out on taking Tour de Suisse race lead on opening time-trial

One of the big favourites for the 2023 Tour de Suisse, Remco Evenepoel returned to racing for the first time since the Giro d'Italia with a second-placed finish on the opening individual time-trial of the week-long, Swiss stage race.

“It was a strange course. During the recon, it seemed nice, but with the higher speeds in the course it was still more dangerous than I thought," the Soudal - Quick-Step leader analysed in a post-stage interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. "It was difficult to get into the rhythm, with few real straights.”

After beating Stefan Kung to win two individual time-trials at the Giro d'Italia, Evenepoel had high hopes for the win in Switzerland but it was the Groupama - FDJ specialist who emerged victorious. Kung's time was just six seconds better than Evenepoel's meaning it is Kung who will wear the leader's jersey on tomorrow's stage two.

“I cannot be dissatisfied. We didn't know how I was going to get here. I fell silent in the second part. Normally I should be able to go through that wall, that was not really possible today," continues Evenepoel. "But I think it's a good start for the rest of the week. Today may not have been quite what we had hoped for, but I think Küng would have been hard to beat anyway. A time trial does not lie.”