“Everyone underestimated me. If I tried that now it would be impossible” – Sepp Kuss doubts Vuelta-style Grand Tour heist could happen again
Cycling
Few Grand Tour victories have relied so heavily on timing and perception as Sepp Kuss’s shock Vuelta a Espana win in 2023. It was a race where freedom mattered as much as form, and where being overlooked proved decisive. Two years later, Kuss is clear that the conditions which allowed that win no longer exist.
“Everyone underestimated me. If I tried that now, it would be impossible,” Kuss explained in conversation with Tutto Bici Web, reflecting on the circumstances that allowed him to turn from trusted lieutenant into unexpected Grand Tour winner.
The American’s comments cut to the heart of why his Vuelta success was as much a product of timing and perception as it was of climbing strength. Kuss was not marked as a GC threat at the start of that race. He was given freedom, slipped into a decisive breakaway, and built a buffer that no rival team fully believed in until it was too late.
That element, he admits, has now disappeared.
Why the 2023 Vuelta was a once-off opportunity
“When I won the Vuelta, nobody really knew me,” Kuss said. “If I tried that now, everyone would control me. No team would make that mistake again.”
The remark is blunt, but accurate. Kuss’s red jersey came during a race in which Visma occupied all three podium positions, with Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic also present. What followed was one of the most unusual internal dynamics seen in a modern Grand Tour, reinforcing the sense that Kuss’s overall win emerged from a very specific set of circumstances.
Kuss himself is clear that repeating that scenario would require a complete rethink of his career structure.
“To really aim to win another Grand Tour, I would need a specific preparation, a complete overhaul of my training and season,” he said. “I don’t even know if I’m capable of that.”
Contentment in a different kind of role
Rather than chasing a repeat of 2023, Kuss sounds at ease with where his career has settled since.
“I’m comfortable in my role as a domestique,” he explained. “I don’t have to manage the pressure. I just have to do my job as well as possible.”
That role will again place him alongside Jonas Vingegaard in 2026, with Kuss expected to be a key part of Visma’s Grand Tour structure as the Dane targets both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. The ambition of that programme only underlines how far removed the current reality is from the freedom Kuss enjoyed three years ago.
Still, ruling out another Grand Tour win does not mean abandoning personal ambition altogether.
“In the team, we have a leader, but there’s space for everyone,” Kuss said. “We all have our moments and opportunities. It’s up to us to make the most of them.”
A victory shaped by timing, not illusion
Kuss’s honesty strips away the romanticism that often surrounds his Vuelta triumph. It was not a blueprint waiting to be repeated, but a rare alignment of form, trust, and underestimation that modern cycling increasingly refuses to allow.
Now recognised, monitored, and central to one of the sport’s most ambitious teams, Kuss understands that his greatest win came precisely because no one was looking for it.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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