Cycling: “warrior”, Colorado, bon vivant… 5 things to know about Sepp Kuss, the unexpected winner of the Vuelta

Sepp Kuss is used to operating in the shadows. Before the Vuelta (marked by a stage victory during the 6th stage), his record included a stage victory in the Tour de France (in Andorra la Vella in 2021 and a stage in the Tour of Spain in 2019). On the last Tour de France, he was Jonas Vingegaard's support. The last to accompany him in the mountains. With foolproof solidity. He fell twice (once due to the carelessness of a spectator, during the 15th stage; then on a descent in the Vosges during the 20th stage). Each time, he got up. He had finished at Markstein, with his jersey torn, his left arch bloodied, with blood and bandages to try to patch it up.

“This guy is a warrior. We love you, Sepp! », had launched his training on social networks. Sepp Kuss has always excelled in serving others (“I remain discreet and do what I have to do. For me, it’s better that way,” he summarized a few months ago to cyclingnews) . A faithful lieutenant propelled to the forefront with this unexpected success in the Vuelta (ahead of his teammates Jonas Vingegaard at 17'' and Primoz Roglic at 1'8'').

Winner in Madrid of a Vuelta dominated head and shoulders by his Jumbo-Visma team, Sepp Kuss is the first American to win a grand tour since Chris Horner (Vuelta 2013). He joins in the list of American winners on a grand tour (after the dismissal of Lance Armtrong of his victories in the Tour de France), Greg LeMond (Tour de France 1986, 1989, 1990), Andrew Hampsten (Tour of Italy 1988) and Chris Horner (Vuelta 2013). As a teenager, he was in Durango, a member of the mountain bike team but preferred Nordic skiing (his father Dolph was coach of the American Olympic Nordic ski team from 1963 to 1972, was coach of the Team USA team in the Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 1964 and Sapporo in 1972) practiced at his home in Durango (Colorado), such as kayaking and ice hockey. He competed in the MTB World Championships in 2014 before opting for the road. In parallel with his studies (literature, advertising), he trained with the American continental Rally Cycling team (2016-2017) and was noticed by Jumbo Visma. Sepp Kuss (29 years old) has been part of the Dutch team since 2018 and has accompanied its rise to the top. He is under contract until 2024.

Sepp Kuss, with his Spanish partner Noemi, settled in Andorra. The calm and the ideal training ground appealed to him. Like Julian Alaphilippe. And it is in Andorra that he signed, before the 2023 Vuelta, his most significant victory on the 2021 Tour. With his friends and compatriots Neilson Powless (EF Education) who also lives in Andorra, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates ) and Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), he embodies the new generation of American runners who had to grow up with the weight of the Armstrong and Landis affairs. The interviews given in Spanish during the Vuelta and the smile constantly displayed, even on days when the annoyances seemed to accumulate, made him the most popular rider of the Vuelta.

Sepp Kuss who completed the three grand tours in 2023 (14th in the Giro, 12th in the Tour, 1st in the Vuelta) is, according to Fuoriclasse, the second rider to achieve this by winning one of the three prestigious events (after the Italian Gastone Nencini , winner of the Tour of Italy in 1957). And the American is the rider with the greatest number of days of racing on grand tours for 5 years. With 215 days, he is ahead of the Portuguese Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) and the Belgian Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Dstny).

Richard Plugge, the manager of the Jumbo-Visma team, created controversy by criticizing, during the last Tour de France, the riders of the Jumbo-Visma team accused of “drinking big beers”. Sepp Kuss, winner of the 6th stage of the Vuelta in Javalambre, did not hesitate on the podium to swallow large gulps of champagne. “Drink responsibly. Only for adults, and stage winners of the Vuelta”, reacted, on X, the organizers of the Vuelta by sharing the sequence. That of a runner who kept a schoolboy soul and did not want to shy away from his pleasure. He took him to the greatest success of his career.