While he had to support Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, the American climbed to the highest step of the podium at the Tour of Spain on Sunday, winning his first Grand Tour.
From his takeover to his coronation. This slight smile, restrained, a bit embarrassed, will never have left him. In his first interview after the end of the Vuelta, Sepp Kuss had again “hard to achieve”. The American won the Tour of Spain on Sunday September 17, securing his first victory in the general classification of a Grand Tour, at the age of 29. A clear and flawless success, which no one had anticipated three weeks earlier.
Quite simply because Sepp Kuss did not come to play the leader. He, the model team member, accustomed to playing the launching pads on the last slopes of the mountain stages, was very satisfied with this role. “I don’t have the mindset of a candidate for victory on a Grand Tour, assured Kuss in 2020. I have resilience, I work hard, but there are also all these little sacrifices and having to be focused on all the details, every day. It sucks a lot of energy, whether it’s running or not. For some, it comes naturally. But for me, at least for the moment, it doesn’t seem very appreciable.”
An unexpected alignment of the planets
After having worked hard for the coronation of Primoz Roglic in the Giro last May, then that of Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour de France, the American was preparing to keep the same hat and above all to survive his third Grand Tour of the year. It was with the marks still fresh from his heavy fall in the penultimate stage of the Grande Boucle that he presented himself on the starting line.
Thanks to a victorious breakaway on the 6th stage, in Javalambre, the latter scored a big start, taking more than 3 minutes ahead of the majority of favorites for the final victory. He regained the red jersey two days later, finishing the 8th stage with the best, taking advantage of the failure of Frenchman Lenny Martinez. He never let go after that. At the end of the first week, he was more than 2’30” ahead of Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard.
When the Belgian lost more than 27 minutes in the Tourmalet stage (13th), Sepp Kuss took part in the Jumbo-Visma hat-trick and found himself in an ideal position. His only real competitors being his teammates, he did not have to defend himself ardently, even if Vingegaard took 1’15” from him on the 16th stage and seemed a notch above him. His two usual leaders accepted to exchange roles until the 100% yellow and black podium in Madrid, completing a collective performance which had not been achieved in a Grand Tour since the 1966 Vuelta.
“Sepp Kuss did the Giro and the Tour without pressure, except that of being present physically and he did not start the Vuelta with mental wear and tear. And that’s what makes the difference in being able to perform well in all three Grand Tours.”
Thomas Voecklerat franceinfo: sport
On a personal level, although he had never played in the general classification, Sepp Kuss became the second rider in history to complete the three Grand Tours in the same year, while winning one, after the Italian Gastone Nencini in 1957. At a time when the undivided domination of his team is raising many eyebrows, Thomas Voeckler wishes to recall the particular context which allowed this lieutenant to rise in rank: “We must not forget that he has not done any of the Grand Tours in the shoes of a leader and that makes a huge difference. When you are the designated leader, there is incredible mental pressure in the preparation and during the race. There he discovered the pressure of keeping the red jersey and again, if he let it go it was for one of his colleagues.”
Enchanted parenthesis or promotion?
In truth, the American’s potential had long aroused the curiosity of observers. And those close to him never doubted his ability to aim very high. “Well surrounded, if we bring things to him in the right way, especially in relation to the time trial, he can become a candidate for the general classificationrecounted three years ago Chad Cheeney, one of his first coaches, on the websiteEurosport. Deep down, we all want to be a rockstar. Sepp is no different.”
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Very recently, two days before the big start of the race, Primoz Roglic gave the name of his teammate when asked to identify the favorites for this Vuelta. “We don’t need to wait until last week. And if you look at the stats, if you want to win, you have to take Sepp with you!” supported the Slovenian, recalling Kuss’s involvement in each of Jumbo-Visma’s six Grand Tour crowns.
It must be said that in addition to never disappointing in major high mountain events, the American was the type to seize the rare individual opportunities offered to him. As a symbol, it was precisely during the Tour of Spain that he raised his arms for the first time in Europe, in 2019. The one who lives in Andorra, like many of his peers, (and where he also won a stage of the Tour de France 2021) proved to himself that he could aim higher and that he was not just a teammate and even less a simple lucky charm.
It remains to be seen whether he decides to leave his teammate costume and this label in the closet. cool guy to assert yourself as a real leader. The door is open, in any case, if we are to believe his teammate Jonas Vingegaard, quoted by Wielerflits : “She wishes, he will have even more opportunities as a leader in the future. I hope he wants it. He is so good that he should have every chance. I risk losing a very good helper in the mountains, but I will keep him with me. Be co-leaders on the Tour? Why not !”