Many riders complain about the effects of altitude at the World Championships, but how big Is the difference? Küng explains shocking numbers: "Not 1, 2 or 3%"

“To be honest, I haven't been feeling my best for a while,” Küng begins his story at Bistrot Vélo. His preparation for the World Championships was anything but ideal. “My summer was quite difficult, so I still feel like I'm falling behind. It's hard to close that gap. I was hoping that the Vuelta would do me good, but as I said, when you're already not at your best, it's difficult.”

So there wasn't much confidence going into the time trial. “I wasn't at my best. I got the most out of it with a top-10 finish.” That's not always been the case for the two-time European time trial champion, who really blames his form. “On a really good day, a medal would have been possible.”

As many riders have noted, the altitude in Rwanda can be pretty challenging for many to endure. This is also true for Küng, who, as a Swiss, should be somewhat accustomed to altitude. “We can feel the altitude here in the hotel. We are at 1,500 meters, and even though that's not very high, you can feel it.”

And that makes it a lot harder to perform well. “Especially when you have to put in a lot of effort. The air quality here isn't the best either. When you strain yourself, you definitely feel it in your respiratory system,” says Küng after just a few days in Rwanda.

The question then is: how much of a difference does the altitude really make? “We're not talking about one, two, or three percent, but rather ten to fifteen percent of what I can normally deliver in this time frame,” says the Swiss speed skater, referring to the huge difference.

As a result, Küng had to change his approach in the time trial. “My coach sent me the pacing strategy. After I had made my first efforts here, I said we had to adjust it. I was so far off my watts that I had to go by feel. You really feel like you're not making any progress,” said the Swiss rider about Sunday's time trial.