As it happened: Küng victorious in Tour de Suisse opener

Hello and welcome to the Cycling News live coverage of the 2023 Tour de Suisse.

While the Critérium du Dauphiné reaches its conclusion in the Alps of France today, a second set of riders line up at the Tour de Suisse, many of whom will be testing their legs ahead of the Tour de France, which begins in 20 days.

Among the competitors vying for GC glory in Switzerland over the next 8 days are Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), Juan Ayuso and Jay Vine of UAE Team Emirates, Romain Bardet (Team DSM), Wilco Kelderman and Tobias Foss (Jumbo Visma), Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-EasyPost), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Sergio Higuita (Bora-hansgrohe).

In addition to the GC contenders, there are a great many other top name riders lining up to take on the race, including Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), and Peter Sagan (Team TotalEnergies).

But today is one for the time trial specialists. While it exceeds the distance traditionally denoting a Prologue, it’s still a very short, fast course, taking in a distance of 12.7km around the town of Einsiedeln.

The route is very slightly undulating but without any major obstacles. It travels in a loop, taking the riders across the Sihlsee lake, and back along the lake shore toward the finish line, not far from the start in Einsiedeln. It should not take the riders much more than around 15 minutes, and the margins will be narrow at the end of the day.

The first rider off the ramp will be Ineos Grenadiers’ Connor Swift, at 14.25 CET (13.25 BST).

There are a great many time trial specialists on the start list who will be looking to launch their Tour de Suisse with a victory. Perhaps the favourite for the day is Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian reaffirmed his enviable skill against the clock at the Giro d’Italia, where he won both of the time trial stages before he was forced to retire following a positive covid-19 test.

This is the rider’s first race since the illness, so he will be looking to test himself and set a strong time in a bid to win the race for the first time, on his second appearance.

He will face stiff competition today from other time trial specialists such as Wout Van Aert, Stefan Kung, and Tobias Foss. It's the first time the two Belgian time trialling giants will meet outside of a Championships.

The first riders of the day are out on the course. They will set off at one minute intervals and, as this is the first stage of the race, the start times were pre-selected by the riders and teams, rather than being determined by the general classification.

As Connor Swift heads for the finish line, several other riders are behind him on the course looking to set the fastest early time and take a seat in the hot seat. Riders currently on course including Marco Haller (Team DSM), Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ), Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) and Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma).

Other riders who will hope to challenge for the stage win today include the UAE Team Emirates pairing of Jay Vine and Juan Ayuso. The team have worked hard on their time trialling and this has paid off in recent months, with wins for Ayuso at the Tour de Romandie and just last week, Mikkel Bjerg at the Dauphiné.

The first rider of the day to start, Connor Swift of Ineos Grenadiers, maintains his position and stops the clock at 14.19, with an impressive average speed of 53.224km/h. Let's see how long he can remain in the hot seat.

With three riders having completed the course, Connor Swift retains the lead. Simone Velasco finished 14 seconds adrift in 14.33, and Clement Venturini 1.31 behind in 15.50.

Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) unseats Swift, taking 13 seconds of the Brit's time and setting a new fastest time of 14.06.

It's a day which looks set to see some very fast times.

Filip Maciejuk of Bahrain-Victorious moves into third spot with a time of 14.23. The fast, short nature of today's time trial means that GC riders who don't excel against the clock need not worry too much as the margins will be relatively narrow at the end of the day, and should not impact the GC standings too greatly.

However, there is a second time trial on the final stage next Sunday which, at almost double the length of today's, will offer GC riders who are good time triallists the chance to redeem themselves.

Riders currently out on course include Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Mikkel Honoré (EF Education-EasyPost). Romain Grégoire retains the fastest time currently but there are a great many riders still to take to the course in this fast, furious trial against the clock.

Some more fast times being set, with Trek-Segafredo's Quinn Simmons narrowly missing out on the hot seat with a time of 14.12, and UAE Team Emirates' Sjoerd Bax just behind him, at 14.18. Grégoire holds on for now.

Tobias Ludvigsson of Q36.5 Pro Cycling misses out by just one second. A strong time from the Swede.

Team Jumbo-Visma's Rohan Dennis has just started. The former Australian time trial champion could go well today.

Dries de Pooter of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty sets a new fastest time at the first time check, taking over 40 seconds off of Grégoire's time at that point, around halfway along the course. 

Rohan Dennis passes through the same time check just after and equals the time of Grégoire. 

Ineos Grenadiers' Tom Pidcock is out on course. After a strong opening to the season, winning Strade Bianche, Pidcock has had mixed fortunes since then, crashing out of Tirreno-Adriatico, before a strong campaign in the Ardennes Classics. He will be hoping to put together a good performance here ahead of this year's Tour de France.

Correction: Dries de Pooter's time was incorrect at the first time check. The rider finishes in 20th position.

Rohan Dennis finishes in 4th place, with a time of 14.15, and Arnaud Démare completes the course in 14.33. His team mate Grégoire remains in the hot seat.

Matteo Sobrero of Team Jayco-Alula sets the new fastest time at time check 1. The former Italian time trial champion looks set for a fast finish.

New fastest time! Matteo Sobrero (Team Jayco Alula) turfs Grégoire from his throne, taking 15 seconds off the best time to set a new high bar of 13.51. That's going to take some beating, but with some seriously strong specialists on their way, Sobrero is unlikely to be sitting all that comfortably.

Tom Pidcock has passed through the first time check and looks to be taking the course conservatively; he is unlikely to challenge for the win unless he picks up speed considerably in the second half of the time trial.

Pidcock wears the number 1 at the race, in lieu of last year's winner, his team mate Geraint Thomas.

Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) has completed the course, in a time of 14.30, to put him in provisional 13th place. It's a good showing from the Slovak rider who is in his final year of competitive road racing.

EF Education-EasyPost's Neilson Powless is out on course now. The American has had a great season so far, and will hope to contend this week - whether he will target a high overall placement or aim for stage wins remains to be seen. With Rigoberto Uran also in the team, EF have options.

Cofidis' Alexis Renard sets a really strong time, equalling Romain Grégoire to go into provisional second place.

Neilson Powless finishes in 7th position.

A strong ride also for Groupama-FDJ's Miles Scotson, who sneaks in just under 14.09 to go into provisional 5th position.

Romain Grégoire in action during stage 1 of the 2023 Tour de Suisse.

The conditions for today's time trial are dry and still, with a temperature of around 22 degrees celsius.

The last winner of a time trial at the Tour de Suisse was Remco Evenepoel himself. The Belgian was victorious in stage 8 last year, beating overall winner Geraint Thomas into second position just as he did a few weeks ago in the stage 9 time trial at the Giro d'Italia.

Matteo Sobrero continues to enjoy his time in the hot seat, retaining the provisional fastest time. His team mate Kelland O'Brien could challenge him as he approaches the finish line - he achieved the second fastest time so far at the first intermediate time check.

Nikias Arndt (Bahrain Victorious) sets the new fastest time at the first time check, taking four seconds off of the time of Sobrero. 

Shortly after, he catches and passes his minute man.

Hot on the heels of Arndt, Rigoberto Urán sets another new fastest time at the first intermediate time check, with a time of 7.38. The Colombian is flying.

Nikias Arndt arrives at the finish - despite a strong showing at the first intermediate split he fades in the latter half of the course and finishes in provisional 8th position.

Next to chip away time at the first intermediate is Alex Aranburu (Movistar). He takes 5 seconds off the time of Urán.

No sooner has Aranburu broken through the record at the first intermediate time check than Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal-QuickStep) takes another 7 seconds from the time. This time trial is really starting to heat up.

Mirroring the run of Nikias Arndt, so too Rigoberto Urán fades in the second half of the course, finishing in provisional 10th position despite a really strong start.

Mattia Cattaneo pushes his compatriot close but is not able to oust him from the hot seat. The Italian rider for Soudal QuickStep is only the second rider to go under 14.00.

Swiss rider Gino Mäder (Bahrain-Victorious) sets out on course - he will hope for a strong week in front of his home crowds.

Ineos Grenadiers' 21-year-old Ben Tulett is out on course, and sets the second fastest intermediate time. The British rider recently won his first GC at the Tour of Norway and is clearly in good form. He will be hoping for a strong overall performance at the race this week.

The backdrop to today's stage is truly stunning. The riders cross the Sihlsee lake via a bridge, before riding along the lake shore to the north heading back to Einsiedeln, past rolling green fields with mountains in the background. An excellent advertisement for the area, which lies just south of Zürich.

Ben Tulett's puts in a solid performance, but it's not good enough to challenge the long-term leader Matteo Sobrero. The Brit finishes in a time of 14.15, to put him in provisional 13th place.

With all the strongest time triallists still to take to the start, the tension is building on stage 1 of the Tour de Suisse, as we enter the final hour of the day.

Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) heads down the start ramp. The American is a strong time triallist and has a chance to set a very good time here. 

The winner of today's stage will also be the first wearer of the yellow leader's jersey, meaning that their team will be expected to take control of the pace in tomorrow's stage.

On the cards tomorrow, a rolling stage that looks likely to end in a bunch sprint finish.

Young Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks is also out on course now. The rider for Bora-hansgrohe could be in with a chance of a good GC finishing position this week. he most recently finished 6th at the Tour de Romandie.

UAE Team Emirates' Finn Fisher Black comes into the finish very close to the time of Matteo Sobrero. He finishing in 14.06 and goes into provisional third place.

Meanwhile Magnus Sheffield passes through the first time check and sets a new fastest time. However before Sheffield, the riders with the top 5 times at the intermediate time check all finished slower than Matteo Sobrero - can Sheffield maintain his speed to replace the Italian in the hot seat?

Magnus Sheffield of Ineos Grenadiers goes 9 seconds faster than Matteo Sobrero to set the new fastest time of 13.42. An excellent ride from the American.

If Sheffield were to hold on for the stage win today, it would be his first victory in almost 300 days. His most recent win prior to today was also in a time trial, at last year's Tour of Denmark.

Riders currently out on course include Team Jumbo-Visma's Wilco Kelderman, Soudal-QuickStep's Kasper Asgreen, and Alpecin-Deceuninck's Soren Kragh Andersen.

An excellent time set by former U23 World Champion Johan Price Petjersen of Bahrain-Victorious, but he just misses out on the hot seat. His time - 13.48. He moves into provisional second position.

Australian national time trial champion Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) is currently out on course. He will hope to challenge for the stage win today.

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) in full flow earlier on in today's individual time trial.

Jay Vine goes through the first intermediate time check third fastest, 9 seconds down on the time of Sheffield.

Vine is one of 11 riders from Australia on the start list in Switzerland. There are 12 riders from the home nation present at the race this year.

Jay Vine approaches the finish line. How will the Australian champion fare?

It's very close at the finish, but Vine cannot better Sheffield's time. He completes the course in 13.58, and moves into provisional 5th position.

Two Swiss time trial specialists called Stefan are now both out on course. How have they stacked up against the clock so far this year?

EF Education-EasyPost's Stefan Bissegger has taken on two competitive individual time trials in 2023 so far, with his best result 12th at Etoiles-de-Besseges, a way shy of his best.

Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) on the other hand has won one, at the Volta ao Algarve, and finished 4th and 5th in the recent time trials at the Giro d'Italia.

Who will go best today?

Next out on course, two Belgians  - Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep). Van Aert has only competed in one time trial so far this year, at Tirreno-Adratico, where he came 45th, ruling himself out of being competitive on the day.

With four big hitters out on course, we can expect to see the fastest time at the  intermediate time check to change hands a number of times over the next few minutes. Stay tuned and we'll bring you the most up-to-date information as it happens.

Van Aert is trialling a new racing position today, following new UCI rules applying to riders over 1.9m tall. 

Stefan Bissegger is off the pace at the first intermediate time check, going through in the just the 8th fastest time. 

Stefan Küng on the other hand is just a second down on Sheffield's time, and will pressure the American's time at the finish if he can maintain his speed.

Alexey Lutsenko of Astana-Qazaqstan sets a strong time, moving into provisional 7th position.

Wout van Aert sets the 3rd fastest time at the intermediate time check, 5 seconds down on Magnus Sheffield and 4 down on Küng. This is going to be very, very close.

Next, Remco Evenepoel will give us an indication of where he sits in relation to the rest, as he comes up to the intermediate time check.

He nestles between the times of Küng and Van Aert, 2.5 seconds down on Sheffield who has really impressed with his time today.

A good result for Bora-Hansgrohe's Maximilian Schachmann; he finishes in provisional 6th position to set himself up for a decent run on GC this week.

European champion Stefan Bissegger arrives at the finish but he can't better Magnus Sheffield's time, finishing 8 seconds down in provisional 3rd.

Stefan Küng has absolutely smashed this. He will be the new fastest rider.

The Swiss goes through the finish 11 seconds faster than Magnus Sheffield, to take over the hot seat. A really impressive performance that the two Belgians are going to struggle to follow.

So often the nearly-man, it would be an incredible result for Küng should he hang on to take this stage win today.

Van Aert approaches the finish and he won't be able to beat Küng. He finishes strongly, and crosses the line 10 seconds down, moving into provisional 2nd place as we await the arrival of Evenepoel.

Evenepoel reaches the final kilometre - this is going to incredibly close.

Stefan Küng is going to hang on to the best time as Evenepoel arrives at the finish, 5 seconds down on his time.

There are still a few riders out on course, so Küng's win isn't guaranteed quite yet, though all his closest competitors on paper have now finished their rides.

Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) may challenge Küng's time - he is out on the course now.

Ayuso is about to arrive at the finish line, but he won't challenge Küng's time. He moves into provisional 10th position.

Joel Suter is about to complete the course - the Swiss time trial champion is unlikely to bother the time of the leader, so Stefan Küng can prepare to celebrate a deserved stage win.

Suter will not beat Küng, and as he arrives at the finish line just behind Daniel Oss of TotalEnergies, the win is confirmed for Stefan Küng of Groupama-FDJ. A brilliant victory for the home rider in his favoured discipline.

He will take the yellow leaders' jersey into stage 2 of the race tomorrow.

Evenepoel and Van Aert round out the podium.

It's Küng's third win at the Tour de Suisse. All three stage wins have been individual time trials - stage 9 in 2018, and stage 1 in 2021. He has an opportunity to make it four in next Sunday's time trial, which is just over double the length of today's test.

Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), after today's stage win:

'I've gone so many times really close, so it's such a big relief to win here in front of the home crowd, my family is here, my wife and my son.

'From Giro to the Tour de Suisse was quite a short time, I did some altitude training and I was just working really, really hard, and then I felt really tired Wednesday and since then I was focusing recovery. So I was not 100% self-confident but I saw all my friends and family here and that for sure gave me some extra motivation.

'I knew I could do well but I also didn't want to set expectations too high, but I always go full gas and today it worked out once again.

'For sure I will honour the jersey and go as hard as I can. For sure I will fight for it.'

Tomorrow's stage 2 will see the riders hit the roads in Beromünster and head to Notwil, on a rolling stage that will feature a number of category 3 climbs, and could be one for the breakaway, but is more likely to end in a bunch sprint.

Today's stage winner Stefan Küng in action.

Thank you very much for joining us for today's live coverage - join us again tomorrow for more action from the 2023 Tour de Suisse.