"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
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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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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