"A top10 spot in the general classification matters less to me than a stage win" - Sepp Kuss wants to take Visma to the spotlight at La Vuelta
CyclingFriday, 21 August 2026 at 13:07
Team Visma | Lease a Bike go into the Vuelta a España with several riders capable of winning stages and also aiming for the overall classification. Sepp Kuss fits himself in both categories, although he admits that in his third Grand Tour of the season, he prefers the latter.
Third Grand Tour of the year for Sepp Kuss
"I feel very good. I always come to the Vuelta with a lot of enthusiasm, and that is very important, because after the wear and tear of the Tour you really have to be mentally ready," Kuss said in words to AS.
Kuss' plan for the season was simple. A small block of racing in Oman; the Volta a Catalunya; and the Grand Tours. He supported Jonas Vingegaard into victory at the Giro d'Italia where, given his sole opportunity, he won the queen stage to Pian de Pezzè.
The American then raced to third at the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica, and at the Tour de France he once again found his best form into the final week of the race. He was fourth at Alpe d'Huez on stage 19; whilst on stage 20 he was third, which followed his two crashes whilst leading the race on the final descent.
Fatigue is not a major concern. Rather, Kuss is ready for another Grand Tour, just as he was in 2023 when he won the Vuelta altogether. "I am ready for it. It will be a very tough race right from the start. As a team, we have many options: we can go for stage success, see how the young riders perform, and fight for a good general classification. We have a very balanced team".
"Wout is in form and is really looking forward to it. It will be a tough battle against Pedersen and possibly Pogacar for the points jersey, but Wout is incredibly eager to bounce back after his crash in the previous Vuelta where he had to abandon".
Sepp Kuss goes into La Vuelta after racing both Giro and Tour this year
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Stage win above GC ambitions for Kuss
The Dutch team not only have Wout Van Aert, but also Matthew Brennan to fight for the bunch sprints - both backed up by Christophe Laporte. On the climber's side, Kuss is joined by Ben Tulett and Jorgen Nordhagen. The American's words point more towards a stage-winning mentality in this race, giving his two young teammates the chance to race for their own results as well.
"A stage victory would be the most important thing for me. A top10 spot in the general classification matters less to me than a stage win. After the first half of the race, we will assess our position in the general classification as a team, and from there we will look for our opportunities".
The big days pointed out in the first week? Those are rather clear: "The home stage in Andorra will be a beautiful stage regardless. I don't know if it suits me perfectly, but it is always nice to ride there. Personally, I am focusing mainly on the stages in the third week with the longer climbs, and the ninth stage in Alicante also suits me well."
This year's Vuelta will not lack high mountain stages and here, Sepp Kuss can do what he has done in the past and add another high-level win to his palmarès.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- The departures are eye-opening, especially when coupled with the ongoing sponsor crisis. But if you look at the biggest cases individually, it's harder to see a pattern: - Yates didn't switch teams, he quit cycling. - Niermann left for a bigger role than he had at Visma - Benoot wanted to stay, but left for more money - Kooij left because Visma is not a true sprint team, and TDF was unlikely Meanwhile Wout, Sepp, and others continue on with no hint of controversy or tension. I think the sponsor thing is real, but that aside I think most of what we are seeing is the normal, even inevitable turnover of a team that has enjoyed huge success over a period of years. Whether they can survive this transition and stay at/near the top is a fair question, but I'm not sure I see anything "rotten."MidnightRider21-08-2026
- Injuries aside, he just had the best year of his career and has negotiated a schedule that suits him better personally. Visma does seem to be going through a transition, but too many top professionals - Wout, Sepp, Laporte, Campy, etc. - are happy at Visma to say something is "rotten."MidnightRider21-08-2026
- Would have been nice to say what dat the race startscaptmike21-08-2026
- Clearly his heart just wasn't in it anymore. He gave us some pretty entertaining and exciting moments, though, and he rode with panache. I wish him all of the best for the future.
santiagobenites21-08-2026 - No, Pogi won't retire early. I can't imagine how frieders3 and maumaue-mause are feeling. Being Pogi haters and still having to watch him for the next 5 to 6 years must be discomforting. The poor guys.PogiSloFans21-08-2026
- I'm unstoppable I'm a Porsche with no brakes, I'm invincible. Yeah, I win every single game.PogiSloFans21-08-2026
- Pogi himself will take, till the end of the year, if everything goes well: Two GT's, four Monuments and the WC. Ain't that funny? :)) PS: He will probably also take the European Championships, considering it's in his and my beautiful Slovenia. POG=GOD !!!PogiSloFans21-08-2026
- Hey maumau-mause, this is a popular song here in Slovenia, from a singer called Adi Smolar. You can use ChatGPT to translate. But you usually sound so "SMART" you won't need ChatGPT: Jaz sem mali psihopat, psiho, psihopat, in te stisnu bom za vrat, bom za vrat! Z mano se ne smeš igrat, se ne smeš igrat, ker jaz sem mali psihopat, psihopat!PogiSloFans21-08-2026
- Maybe he doesn’t actually know he has multiple personality disorder?Mistermaumau21-08-2026
- Straight out of the old white orange mans’ playbook, as usual.Mistermaumau21-08-2026
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