“I think Sepp Kuss’ manager is probably on the phone to a lot of teams already" - Sean Kelly predicts Vuelta controversy could spark Kuss departure from Jumbo-Visma

Leading the Vuelta a Espana and possibly just a few days away from the biggest win of his career, Sepp Kuss should be dancing with glee. Sean Kelly, a former Vuelta winner in his own right however, believes to questionable team dynamics seen in recent stages could sour the American's relationship with Jumbo-Visma.

“I think it’s unfair. When you see Sepp Kuss, the way he’s been so loyal to those two riders over many years, winning big races for them, they didn’t show anything there, they just kept going," the Irishman recaps post-stage 17 on Eurosport's The Breakaway. “When they have such a close relationship over so many years, all that comes into it. It’s not like a rider has just come into the team and finds himself in the leader’s jersey. You have to take that into consideration, and it’s not been taken on board. I think Sepp Kuss’ manager is probably on the phone to a lot of teams already now."

The attacks of Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic on recent stages have been controversial to say the least with Kelly not making any effort to hide his disgust at the Jumbo-Visma tactics. “It’s not complicated. Sometimes tactics can get complicated with riders in between and they’re a danger on GC, but there was no danger at all there," he laments. "They could have just knocked it off a fraction, it would make no difference to the race, keep Kuss with them, carry him to the finish, and whoever wants to take the stage victory, ok go and do it. I feel it’s very unfair.”

“He’s too nice a guy,” Kelly concludes in reference to Kuss. “That’s the problem for Sepp, he’s not able to take that authority in the team briefing and say ‘I want to win this tour, guys’. If you don’t have the mentality, well then you’re going to get flicked, as we say in Flemish.”