Vuelta a Espana stage winner leaves race - Goes all-in for World Championships ambitions in bold move
Cycling
Stefan Küng has had an eventful 24 hours at the Vuelta a Espana. The Tudor Pro Cycling rider won stage 18 of the Vuelta before leaving the race to go all-in for the World Championships Time Trial next weekend.
The Swiss rider confirmed before the stage his intentions to compete for a Worlds medal, but leaves the Vuelta in the immediate aftermath of his stage win on Thursday. Küng won his second career Grand Tour stage two years after his 2024 Vuelta stage win.
Speaking before stage 18, the Swiss rider, who suffered an injury-disrupted season, is all-in for Montreal as he hopes to end his season on a high and compete for a medal at the championships.
“I think the Vuelta is the best possible preparation for myself for the Worlds and also for next year,” Küng told Domestique.
Kung getting over comeback feeling
“That was also one of the reasons for me to do the Vuelta, just get a big block in as I haven’t raced so much this year. Now it doesn’t feel like a comeback anymore, you know, it just feels like I’m back into it."
After announcing his bullish intentions for the World Championships, Küng went out and did the business, besting Callum Thornley and Joao Almeida in second and third by two and eight seconds respectively. Speaking after the stage, he admitted that he didn't go all-out in the final corners as he felt some hazards.
“Why is it always so hard? A time trial in the third week of a Grand Tour. You just have to empty yourself and try to hang on. Today some corners felt very slippery, so I didn’t feel very confident in that regard.
“I still had something left to go all the way to the line, and I think that’s where I made the difference. I feel quite good today. On some days it’s been extremely hot, but since yesterday it’s cooled a bit, we’re around 35 °C instead of 40 °C, and you can feel the difference."
He felt like he had nothing to lose on Thursday as the Vuelta route helped map out his journey to Montreal and he having little to lose worked in his favour.
“We knew what we were getting into when the Vuelta route was announced, but still, the fact that it’s a race adds an extra challenge. I feel like today I had a little less to lose, but that’s always hard in the third week of a Grand Tour."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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