Sepp Kuss will race to defend his Vuelta a España title come August 17. After a Covid infection derailed his Tour de France appearance, the American is recovered, training well and will race the Spanish Grand Tour, Visma - Lease a Bike coach Grischa Niermann has told Velo.
Last year, Kuss became the first American male in a decade to win the Maillot Rojo and only the second American male rider to do so.
The 29-year-old Coloradoan has long been lauded as one of the best climbers and helpers in the peloton – so much so that his teammates nicknamed him "the mailman" because he "always delivers" as a super-domestique, riding in service of his teammates.
He has been instrumental in the success of Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglič, but in Spain last summer, Kuss finally got a shot at his own glory and made it count. Kuss earned the red jersey after stage eight and managed to keep it all the way to Madrid 13 stages later.
Cycling fans worldwide loved this underdog story and squarely placed themselves behind the super domestique under the "Team Kuss" banner.
In his eighth season as a professional, Kuss showed himself, his team, and the world that he has what it takes to be a team leader when given the opportunity. But opportunities don't come often on a powerhouse team like Visma - Lease a Bike.
Yet, rather than seeking leadership opportunities at lesser teams, Kuss extended his Visma - Lease a Bike contract through 2027, embracing being the "second card" to Vingegaard after Roglič went to Bora, convinced he'll be given more chances to ride for himself.
But these opportunities –given or taken– have yet to materialise this season. He used the spring stage races to get in shape, with apparent little expectation from his team to perform, as the big focus was on the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.
At the Tour, Kuss was once again enlisted to ride in service of the defending, two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard—the valued mountain lieutenant reporting for duty.
He didn't get the chance, however. Kuss left the Critérium du Dauphiné after stage seven earlier in June with Covid symptoms and failed to recover in time for the Tour.
In his absence, a peak-fit Tadej Pogačar is making it awfully difficult for Vingegaard to deliver his team the three-peat they are looking for. While missed in France, Kuss has used this downtime to fully recover from the Covid virus, train at altitude and prepare for the August racing. He also shared some joyous news of a personal nature: the 29-year-old and his wife, Noemi Ferré, are expecting their first child.
"He's good again, and he's training well," confirmed Niermann, who fully expects Kuss to race in August and take the opportunity to defend his Vuelta crown.
The 2024 Vuelta a España starts on Saturday, August 17, with a time trial in Lisbon, Portugal. This year's race will once again fought in the mountains, as there's just one flat stage in the entire 21 days of racing. The 2024 route is bookended by a short individual time trial on either end, but for Kuss, a master of the mountains, the mountain-heavy course does look promising.
You'll be able to follow the race with stage-by-stage coverage right here on Cycling Weekly.
