Stefan Küng hopes to succeed from a breakaway: "There will be opportunities in the second and third week"

For the next three weeks, Stefan Küng will be fully focused on the Tour de France and his Groupama - FDJ team goals of helping David Gaudu improve on his fourth place from last year’s GC by at least one spot. 

"A three-week race is normally the best preparation for the Worlds, and the timing this year of the Tour works out quite well. There’s a little bit more than two and a half weeks between the end of the Worlds and the start of the Tour, so that’s ideal," Küng confirmed before Grande Départ in Bilbao that his main goal is still World ITT Championships.

Unluckily the only time trial of this year's Tour de France doesn't quite suit him. "It's not really a TT that suits my abilities, so I can't use it as a test. But nevertheless, riding here will give me the base condition I need and then with some specific TT work, I'll be as ready as I can be."

"I’m going to do my part for the team. Then in the second and third week, there will be opportunities and if one comes up, I’ll take it. But even if it’s not as simple as a time trial where I know that if I’m in good shape, I could go for a win, it’s a stage of the Tour de France all the same," Küng concluded.