Swiss rider Stefan Küng won his 12th time
trial on Sunday in the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse in Frauenfeld.

French star Julian Alaphilippe, fifth at 19 seconds, impressed in his
comeback less than three weeks before the Tour de France which starts on June
26.

Küng, the bronze medallist in the discipline at the last world
championships and wearing his European time trial champion's jersey, led an
impressive display by home riders.

Another Swiss time trial whizz 22-year-old Stefan Bissegger was second,
only four seconds back.

Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, a favourite to win the race and continue the
recent Team Ineos triumphal streak, which includes victories by Egan Bernal in
the Giro and by Richie Porte on Sunday in the Critérium du Dauphiné, was a
solid 15th at 31 seconds.

His Australian team-mate Rohan Dennis, the world time trial champion in
2018 and 2019 was a disappointing 10th at 23 seconds.

Tom Dumoulin of Jumbo Visma, racing for the first time since his brief
retirement following the Tour of Spain in the autumn, finished 16th at 32
seconds.

The Dutch rider, who is targeting Olympic gold in the speciality, can see
how far he has to go until July 28 in Japan.

The hilly 173km second stage on Monday between Neuhausen am Rheinfall and
Lachen on the shores of Lake Zurich crests a short, steep climb less than two
kilometres from the finish.

It promises another explosive battle between French world road race
champion Alaphilippe of Deceuninck and Dutch classics specialist Mathieu Van
der Poel of Alpecin.