Sepp Kuss to win Tour of Spain, become next American cyling star

When he crossed the end line in Guadarrama on the finish of Stage 20 of the 2023 Vuelta a España, Sepp Kuss was flanked by two males he often is working for. On the one aspect, two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard; on different, Primož Roglič, himself a three-time winner of the Vuelta.

The pink race chief’s jersey belonged to neither of the 2 biking superstars. It rested on Kuss’ shoulders, and can stay there all through the race.

The twenty first and closing stage of the Vuelta, in spite of everything, might be little greater than a procession — a celebration to cap off one of the vital unlikely professional biking tales in current reminiscence. Kuss, in spite of everything, had proven he had the standard to compete for a Grand Tour, one of many three largest bike races on this planet.

The truth is, he raced all three of them this season. He helped Roglič win the Giro d’Italia in Could, and Vingegaard the Tour de France two months later. With their Jumbo-Visma crew taking each to Spain for the third and closing Grand Tour of the 12 months, the expectation was that it could be extra of the identical for Kuss: he would assist them earn the win, similar to he has all through his profession.

Regardless of being the most effective mountain climbers within the peloton, the 29-year-old has been a so-called domestique for a lot of his professional profession. His job was to help the leaders, oftentimes being the one to arrange the ultimate assault.

He did it on the Giro and the Tour, and he was imagined to do it on the Vuelta as effectively. Then, all the pieces modified.

The sixth stage of the race to Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre noticed Kuss be part of a breakaway and abruptly achieve greater than two on the pre-race favorites and quote-on-quote critical basic classification riders. The truth that he was allowed to go on the assault within the first place was a mirrored image of his standing as a perceived non-threat to different riders and groups.

Nonetheless, Kuss shortly proved that he had what it took to not simply earn the pink jersey — one thing he did on Stage 8 — but in addition hold it the remainder of the way in which. Not solely did he move the excessive mountain exams with out exhibiting many weaknesses, he additionally rode the time trial of his life on Stage 10 in Valladolid.

Kuss misplaced 1:29 and not more than 1:13 on the highest GC riders; he misplaced lower than that on each Roglič (0:53) and Vingegaard (0:11).

This, in flip, meant that his crew confronted an issue of first-world proportions: throw the help behind nominal co-leaders Roglič and Vingegaard, or behind one of the vital underrated riders within the sport? Publicly, the crew and its prime riders voiced help for the latter possibility however cracks within the plan began to indicate on Stage 17 to the legendary mountaintop end on the Altu de L’Angliru.

Kuss entered the day 29 seconds forward of second-placed Vingegaard and 1:33 forward of Roglič within the third spot. Clearly the strongest crew within the race, Jumbo-Visma was content material to maintain its riders 1-2-3 however there gave the impression to be no settlement who would find yourself the place after Roglič upped the tempo and ultimately left everybody however Vingegaard behind — together with Kuss, whose lead turned smaller with each pedal stroke.

Roglič ended up successful forward of Vingegaard, with the latter probably on his strategy to pushing Kuss from the highest spot. Nonetheless, that didn’t occur: receiving some surprising assist from Bahrain-Victorious rider Mikel Landa, the Durango, CO native survived with solely eight seconds to spare on Vingegaard.

The next stage, there was no drama. Vingegaard rode tempo for Kuss on the ultimate climb in a present of help for the brand new chief.

Saturday’s stage was extra of the identical. Because of this, Kuss is now on the verge of writing American biking historical past: he’ll turn into simply the fourth U.S. rider to win a Grand Tour, following the tracks of Greg Lemond, Andrew Hampsten, and Chris Horner.

Horner gained the Vuelta precisely 10 years in the past, in 2013. Now, it’s Kuss’ flip to take the well-known pink jersey throughout the pond.