“I want to win another stage” - Sepp Kuss hungry for Vuelta a España glory as Visma strike first stage win of Grand Tour
Cycling
Sepp Kuss was one of the key riders for Visma - Lease a Bike in Matthew Brennan’s stage 2 victory at La Vuelta a España 2026. The American spoke to Eurosport’s Laura Meseguer after the finish in Manosque and broke down the strategy that allowed the Dutch team to prevail in a finale where they held several cards.
The plan was clearly defined. Visma wanted to exploit the rise in the final kilometres to launch Wout van Aert while keeping Brennan as a sprint option.
“The idea was to attack with Wout with two kilometres to go on that rise,” Kuss explained to Eurosport, highlighting the team’s versatility to approach the finale with different options.
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Kuss leaves the door open to targeting the overall
The strategy worked to perfection. Van Aert kicked, Tadej Pogačar followed, and the move forced the bunch to react before Brennan emerged to contest the sprint. “We had the idea of winning with Wout or with Matthew as well,” Kuss acknowledged, also praising Christophe Laporte’s work to drop the young Brit into a prime position.
“With Christophe leading him out he can always get to a good position, and he’s got a brutal sprint,” the American added. Brennan duly capitalised to take his first win in a Grand Tour, a success Kuss views as especially important for easing pressure within the team. “A win early in the race always takes a bit of pressure off,” he noted.
Brennan’s triumph was not the only talking point for Kuss. The American approaches this Vuelta with a different role than in past editions and, while aware he could be one of Visma’s best climbers, he has yet to decide whether to focus on the general classification or hunt stage wins.
🎙️ Sepp Kuss, en el micrófono de Eurosport junto a @Laura_Meseguer:
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) August 23, 2026
"La idea era atacar con Van Aert a falta de dos kilómetros. Brennan es un chico tranquilo y sabe cómo ganar"
"Vamos a ver cómo estoy en la primera semana y si hago la general o voy a por etapas" #LaVuelta26 pic.twitter.com/uhFXFl1VP7
Kuss' one clear objective before race
Kuss, winner of La Vuelta in 2023, recalled that before the race he had one clear priority: to rediscover the feeling that comes with winning in a Grand Tour. “For me it would be more important to try to win a stage than to go for a top 10 or top 5,” he explained.
The American believes a victory at La Vuelta carries special weight and does not want to give up that chance by committing too early to a conservative strategy. However, he does not rule out fighting for the overall either.
“We’ll see how I feel in the first week, whether I go for the GC or look for opportunities in the breakaways,” Kuss concluded, keeping all options open before the first major mountain days arrive.

Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
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- Yes, Roglic could theoretically have beaten Sepp. Jonas must have had complete confidence that he could come back and win the Vuelta another year. Visma had not allowed Roglic to ride the Tour that year, so his future did not look so bright, despite his narrow Giro win..Hills3315-11-2026
- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
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