"The time-trial is a bit like the Formula 1 of cycling" - Stefan Küng on his love for the against the clock battle

One of the premier time-trial specialists in the World Tour peloton today, Stefan Küng has a deep love of the discipline and the importance of the minor details involved in racing against the clock. 

"The time-trial is a bit like the Formula 1 of cycling," says the longtime Groupama - FDJ star in conversation with Eurosport. "The work done for a time-trial bike is beneficial for the road bike. All the work I do on the equipment is beneficial for other riders," he explains.

“In Formula 1, what is difficult is to have drivers who are capable of providing information to the engineers," explains French coach, Frédéric Grappe. “There are a lot of sensors on the cars but what the driver feels is something else. The sensors don't provide a true picture. A rider is the same. That's what's interesting about cycling, when you have very perceptive riders who are capable of integrating a quantity of information and restoring it. There, you learn a lot. Some have this ability to analyze and restore information, others not at all. The champion has this ability to be hyper-sensitive."

And the fact Kung is one of these such riders means that he is perfect for testing out new models and ironing out any issues. "There aren't that many very good testers among the riders," he concludes. "When there are some in a team, we use them for this type of test. Some riders don't have the feeling necessary. Others are very, very good, like Stefan."