Stefan Kühn had every reason to be confident going into the UCI Road World Championships time trial in Wollongong. The Swiss rider had the right course, was in good shape, and knew what the leading riders were capable of.

But there was one factor he did not take into account: Norway's Tobias Foss. When asked how it felt to be runner-up by

"I've been running circles around this big win, I've been second, I've been third, I've lost to Lemko [Evenpor] a couple of times, I've lost to [Filippo] Ganna and others. I know how to beat them and I've beaten them all in the past.

"This morning I made a list of favourites to win and I beat them all, but I didn't think about Tobias, who rode great today. I had a very good time trial today, but he was stronger."

In Imola in 2020, Küng was third in the time trial at the World Championships; in Flanders in 2021, he had just won the European Championships and was one of the favorites to win, but he seemed almost shocked by his fifth place finish.

He said afterwards that he would have preferred a few more undulations and corners. Wollongong had that this year.

The 34.2 km elite time trial course consisted of two laps, each with about 30 corners. There was a small climb with an elevation gain of 312 meters.

"It's a bit punchy and the rhythm changes from right to left. It suits me very well. I liked this year's course better than last year's."

Cung is focused on the training required for the Australian circuit and said he feels he is getting better since his silver medal at the European Championships after a "really bad Tour de France" with COVID-19 infection.

"I was really confident today. I knew what I had to do, I knew what I had to do, and I felt like I was flying on the first lap."

"Sure the second lap was a little tougher, but I heard the time splits and knew that Lemko, Ganna, and (Tadei) Pogachar were ahead of me. I think Tobias surprised everyone today."

So what does the future hold for Kyun?

"You have to accept it and keep working," the 28-year-old Groupama-FDJ rider said. 'You have to keep fighting. Hopefully one day I will find my way."