"Unfortunately, the race was a kilometre too long" - Stefan Küng walks away empty-handed after a good effort at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Cycling
Stefan Küng has never won a big classic despite being close several times in the past. The Swissman tried his luck again at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but against a strong chasing group and headwind, his attack had little hope of succeeding.
"It was quite tough but we felt that the headwind was blocking the race quite a bit," commented Küng on team website. "We expected things to move a bit more, but the wind actually slowed down the attempts," added sports director Frédéric Guesdon.
Küng had waited for a long time, but finally took off with 8 kilometers remaining. "I knew it was the right moment," confided the Swiss rider, "but I was alone, and it was really hard with the headwind. On long straights, it wasn't easy, but once in this situation, I didn't look back. I pushed and that was it."
Although he was able to quickly take a ten-second lead, a pack of around fifty men nevertheless reformed behind him. "That's also where the headwind made the difference, because after the Bosberg, many riders were able to come back and lead the chase behind me," he said. "In these conditions, it's difficult to fight. Despite everything, I knew that it was my best chance, I gave it my all even though I felt in my legs that I was at the end of a two-hundred-kilometre race."
Five kilometres from the finish, Stefan Küng held a promising lead of fifteen seconds, but the group behind was too powerful enough to catch the Groupama - FDJ rider just under the flamme rouge. "Unfortunately the race was a kilometre too long," he said. "I gave it my all, I believed in it, and I have no regrets. I think I had a good race and that's how I want to race in the Classics this year."
"We're off to a good start and I'm leaving this Omloop Het Nieuwsblad feeling confident," added Stefan. "I certainly don't feel like I'm at 100% yet, but I'm where I want to be." The Swiss rider will skip the follow-up semi-classic Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne to focus on upcoming races.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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