Groupama-FDJ might not have secured a victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen, however a podium end for Stefan Küng was one thing to have a good time on Wednesday. The Swiss rider made probably the most of his success in staying forward of a significant crash, making a transfer right into a decisive breakaway and battling numbers towards Visma-Lease a Bike.
In the long run, he completed behind Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) for third however managed to seize the ultimate spot on the rostrum forward of Visma-Lease a Bike’s Tiesj Benoot, who had helped his teammate Matteo Jorgenson into the ultimate break for the victory.
“I believe second place would have been the utmost end result as a result of Visma had the numbers they usually performed it properly,” Küng stated.
“I used to be most likely the strongest other than them nevertheless it was unattainable for me to win this race. Each Jorgenson and Benoot are actually robust riders and everybody else was taking a look at me as a result of they had been on the restrict.”
Visma-Lease-a-Bike took over as a mass of yellow on the entrance of the peloton heading over the Berg Ten Houte with beneath 75km to go. Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) attacked however Küng was one of many first lead riders to react and together with Jorgenson and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) the menace was shut down.
Then extra assaults adopted till all momentum modified with the large crash on the descent resulting in the Kanarieberg, with 65km to go.
“It was a bit hectic at that second, I simply moved up within the group, and proper after I heard the crash behind me,” Küng stated. “I believe everybody was a bit shocked at first, then Matteo Jorgenson re-opened the race within the Kanarieberg.”
The Groupama-FDJ rider discovered himself in a entrance choice, which quickly expanded from 5 riders to 11. It was then Küng on the offensive on a cobbled part with 30km to go, which started to scale back the entrance group. Then, with 7km to go, Jorgenson put in a shock assault that left Küng taking turns with Abrahamsen, Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), whereas Benoot remained of their slipstream.
“That they had the numbers, they usually performed it properly. There additionally wasn’t a tough sufficient climb within the closing to make a distinction. When there are two towards one, and the others are simply taking a look at me as a result of they’re on the restrict, then it’s actually tough,” Küng added.
Now in his sixth marketing campaign for Groupama-FDJ, Küng had set his sights on the Classics this spring as a buildup to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. He completed within the high 10 of each these Monuments within the final two years, together with third at Paris-Roubaix in 2022. With high 20s at E3 Saxo Basic and Gent-Wevelgem serving as appetizers for a 3rd at Dwars door Vlaanderen, the versatile 30-year-old was primed for Ronde this Sunday.
“The cobbled climbs normally swimsuit me higher, and I really feel I’m getting higher from race to race. At this time was the very best I’ve felt in all of the these races. That’s a constructive signal for the Tour of Flanders,” Küng stated.
“I hope I may be there with a powerful crew. Now we have three playing cards to play: Laurence Pithie, Valentin Madouas and me. Now we have to attempt to do one thing.”
The crew confirmed this podium end as being the most important results of the spring races to date, although Lenny Martinez had gained two one-day races, Basic Var and Trofeo Laigueglia, and Laurence Pithie took the title at Cadel Evan Nice Ocean Street Race.
“We lastly have the end result that we had been lacking,” stated Frédéric Guesdon, assistant sports activities director, in a crew assertion after the race. “Till then, we had been up there in all of the races, nevertheless it had not paid off. At this time, there may be the rostrum and the way in which to take it, in order that’s good. This bodes properly for Sunday. Taking third in Dwars door Vlaanderen provides morale to everybody. The objectives are clear for Sunday, and we’ll get to the Ronde with quite a lot of motivation.”
