"I deserved to win the Vuelta" - Sepp Kuss proud of Grand Tour win but keen to return to super domestique role at 2024 Tour de France

Claiming the biggest win of his career at the Vuelta a Espana, Sepp Kuss is no longer just a super domestique but now a fully-fledged Grand Tour winner. The American is keen to stress however, that at the Tour de France he would rather ride without the pressure of leadership.

"I deserved to win the Vuelta," says Kuss defiantly in an interview with the Dutch cycling website Wielerrevue. "Before the Vuelta, I was absolutely not concerned with winning. I thought I would have to help Vingegaard and Roglic for the classification and maybe there was a chance for myself to win a stage. I look at the route schedule to see which stages I could take it easier to save some energy."

With Primoz Roglic having left the team now, a space has opened for a Grand Tour leadership role in 2024. "Now it is clear what I am capable of," says the American. "I have shown for three weeks that I can perform at a high level and can even win a Grand Tour." However, Kuss isn't keen on filling the Slovenian's shoes as a team leader, rather he'd stay as a super-domestique and plan-B.

"Normally I go into a race with nothing to lose. Now I had something to lose and you have to be able to deal with that mentally. Luckily I managed that. I can still be the anonymous rider, although I am well aware that more will be expected of me in the coming years," he assesses. "I will work for Jonas Vingegaard again in July next year, but I like to be kept on hand as a joker. That is motivating for me."

Could he return as leader at the Vuelta a Espana next year though to defend his Red Jersey? "The dynamics of the race are very different. For me, the Vuelta is the perfect race. Less stress and less dangerous stages," Kuss concludes. "In the Tour every day is super nervous, tougher transition stages and less steep climbs. Not ideal for me."