Küng, a two-time European time trial champion, had been a strong contender for an additional medal in this category, securing the third position after passing the second intermediate time check. He trailed Wout Van Aert by just a fraction of a second but lagged nearly half a minute behind the impressive young British rider, Josh Tarling.

As he neared the conclusion of his ride, Küng, adopting the aerodynamic head-down position commonly favored by contemporary time trial cyclists, made an error in judgment. He failed to anticipate a slight change in the road's direction and did not notice the approaching row of barriers directly ahead.

Riding in a straight path, the Groupama-FDJ cyclist inadvertently collided with the barriers, causing him to tumble and sprawl across the road.

Despite suffering from injuries and visible signs of a brutal crash, the 29-year-old athlete persevered and completed the race, ultimately finishing in 11th place for the day. Following his crossing of the finish line, he was observed undergoing a concussion evaluation conducted by members of Switzerland's medical team. This led to widespread discussions on social media, with many questioning the decision to allow him to continue riding to the finish under such circumstances.

Küng's unusual fall, reminiscent of Djamolodine Abdoujaparov's infamous crash into the barriers on the Champs-Élysées during the 1991 Tour de France, has sparked a social media discussion about the circumstances surrounding the incident and the question of fault.

Marek Kapela, the reigning junior time trial champion from Poland, expressed:

“In a properly organised race, he should be getting directions from the team car behind him over the radio. If the team car is not allowed, there should be a marshal there with a whistle. Team car’s mistake or organiser’s mistake, not the rider’s.”

Nevertheless, Cookson, the former UCI and British Cycling president, contended that the crash occurred due to Küng's head-down riding technique, a practice he believes should be prohibited by the sport's global governing body.

Although the UCI modified its regulations regarding time trial positions earlier this year, allowing taller riders to leverage increased reach and greater height variation between the forearm support and the extension tips of their handlebars, there are presently no rules governing the angle at which a rider positions their head while competing in time trials.