American neo-pro Sepp Kuss impressing in unexpected Grand Tour debut at Vuelta a España
The LottoNL-Jumbo rider says the Spanish Grand Tour is a 'huge change' from his time with American team Rally


American Sepp Kuss is one of a handful of riders debuting in a grand tour at the Vuelta a España, but he made the switch from small continental Team Rally Cycling in the US to go to the top in Europe. And he is pulling at the front of the mountains for his LottoNL-Jumbo leaders.
The "huge change" came about this year when he proved himself at the Critérium du Dauphiné. The Dutch WorldTour team put the Colorado native on the long list due to illnesses in the team. He then won three stages and the overall the Tour of Utah.
>>> Tao Geoghegan Hart adapting to steep learning curve in debut Grand Tour
"It's a little bit unexpected with my first Grand Tour. I wasn't sure what it'd be like," Kuss told Cycling Weekly.
"My goal going into it was just to finish, honestly, so it's definitely been above expectations right now, but it's always nice when you can out do what you thought was possible.
"It's a huge change [from Team Rally]. I'm slowly getting my legs under me in Europe and in a big team, it's been a big change but I've had great support all year and it's been fun."
Kuss was one of two Americans to join the team this winter with Neilson Powless. Powless, 21, came from amateur team Axeon Hagens Berman and Kuss from Team Rally.
In LottoNL-Jumbo's yellow kit, he checked his green Bianchi bike and prepared for another Vuelta stage. Team leaders Steven Kruijswijk and George Bennett passed by to retrieve their bikes.
"He blew the races to pieces the other day," Bennett said of Kuss's work in the mountains. "You see him leading the peloton with only around 15 riders left."
Kuss moved quickly to the WorldTour ranks, taking up road racing after a mountain bike deal didn't materialise. In 2016, he climbed to victory the queen stages in Redlands and in the Tour de Beauce. The following season, he placed 10th in the Tour of California's Mt. Baldy stage and sixth overall in the Colorado Classic.
This year, seeing his abilities, LottoNL gave him space in its teams for the Tour of the Basque Country, the Tour of the Alps and then the Critérium du Dauphiné. The team would not usually take neo-professionals to Grand Tours, but the management made an exception.
"Every day, I'm really enjoying it and it's cool to be up there and with a lot of big names in the mountains," Kuss said. "It's awesome with the fans, big walls of fans on the mountains. I'm just taking it all in."
Kuss has been riding at the front with names like Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Rigoberto Urán (EF Education First-Drapac). The idea is that anything is possible for him and the team's overall with Kruijswijk and Bennett after an impressive season for the team. The team won the team time trial in the Tour of Britain and in July at the Tour de France, placed fourth overall with Primož Roglič and fifth with Kruijswijk.
"Anything is possible, there is no clear favourite in the Vuelta right now," Kuss said. "Everyone is close in on the GC. It's going to be hard stages, and that's where those guys are going to shine."
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Check out Ellen van Dijk’s bike for today's hour record attempt
Built not just for speed, Trek’s after another spot in the pantheon of iconic hour bikes
By Stefan Abram • Published
-
Best of the rest day tweets: Van der Poel starts a culinary war, riders top up their tans, and EOLO have a dance
We will make it through today, I promise
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Five talking points from stage seven of the Giro d'Italia 2022
What we learned from the hardest day of the race so far
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Jumbo-Visma bounce back from Etna disappointment on the road to Potenza at Giro d'Italia
Tom Dumoulin and Koen Bouwman deliver Dutch victory on stage seven
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Fan makes Sam Oomen crash post-Giro d'Italia stage five
Jumbo-Visma haven't exactly had the best luck over the opening five days
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Tom Dumoulin and Jumbo-Visma left licking wounds after first Giro d'Italia mountain test
Dutchman and teammates tumble down general classification
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Wout van Aert says he's racing Paris-Roubaix so he is not 'missing out on everything'
Jumbo-Visma rider explains that he will be a "little less good" on Sunday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Wout van Aert to ride Paris-Roubaix, but in a supporting role
Jumbo-Visma rider makes his return from his Covid-enforced absence
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'If I can have another day, start another race, I'm grateful for that': Coryn Labecki on racing with Marianne Vos, her family’s COVID tragedy, and her new outlook on life
We sat down with former Flanders winner, Coryn Labecki, to talk about finding her place in the Jumbo-Visma squad, her new outlook on life, racing with the GOAT — Marianne Vos
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Wout van Aert 'unlikely' to race Tour of Flanders, Jumbo-Visma says
Belgian champion was outstanding favourite for Sunday's race
By Adam Becket • Published