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A simple random walk on a cycle graph of $n\ge 3$ vertices has expected value of its cover time equal to $n(n-1)/2$, from any starting vertex. Lift the walk to the integers using the same $\pm 1$ increments. Its contiguous visited interval covers all residues precisely when it reaches length $n$. Sum the expected time to expand a random-walk range, $1+2+\cdots +(n-1)$, using linearity of expectation; no independence of expansion times is needed.

The vertices visited by a simple symmetric random walk form an integer interval: nearest-neighbour steps cannot skip a vertex. At the stopping time $T_k$, write that interval as $[\ell ,r]$, with $r-\ell +1=k$. The walk is at one of its endpoints, because the $k$th new vertex must extend the earlier interval. This also covers $k=1$, when both endpoints coincide.

The Strong Markov property restarts the walk from this endpoint. Visiting a new vertex is exactly exiting $[\ell ,r]$, or reaching $\ell -1$ or $r+1$. Translate these absorbing boundaries to $0,k+1$. The starting point becomes either $1$ or $k$, so the expected duration of symmetric gambler's ruin is $k$ in both cases. Taking conditional expectations and then expected values gives the expected time to expand a random-walk range: