"I was definitely not so clearheaded" - Sepp Kuss crashed twice and lost the Tour de France queen stage - How did it happen?
CyclingSaturday, 25 July 2026 at 18:34
Team Visma | Lease a Bike have won the opening stage of this year's Tour de France, but have since had to settle for less after the withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard. The team was close to saving its race today with Sepp Kuss, but the American rider crashed in the final kilometers and lost the opportunity to do so when leading the race.
Exhausted Kuss crashes twice in a minute
After doing the same on stage 19, Sepp Kuss headed into the day's breakaway this Saturday together with Matteo Jorgenson, Davide Piganzoli and Bruno Armirail. The plan was clear: Take Kuss to victory. The American had the support, but also the legs.
On the Col du Galibier he was part of the very small selection at the head of the race; and on the Col de Sarenne he dropped all of his breakaway companions including Richard Carapaz. Behind, the Tadej Pogacar-led group was too far to reach the front men.
Kuss was alone on the Sarenne plateau and looked to be on his way to the stage win, baring disaster. But inside the final 10 kilometers, disaster struck.
Sepp Kuss leading stage 20 on the Col de Sarenne
“I was definitely not so clearheaded, it was a big effort over the Col de Sarenne, I was trying to keep my gap over Richard Carapaz, and I was trying to get the most out of every corner," Kuss shared with France TV. "I misjudged a corner. I was in a bit too much of a hurry and then I made a mistake on another corner.”
Kuss first crashed away from the race broadcast, but quickly got up. However, the American fell once again shortly after, almost falling down a ravine. The moment worried cycling fans, with the nets on the side of the road apparently saving him from a bad fall.
“For me it wasn’t too scary. I thought I saw the line of the corner. Fortunately, there was some netting there, so I didn’t hurt myself," he recalled.
Kuss got up once again, but had lost the race lead. On the final straight, he then lost his second place on the road to Remco Evenepoel. Disappointment would be the natural feeling, but the 31-year old remained upbeat despite the incident.
“It would have been nice to end the Tour on a high note, but I can still finish the Tour satisfied with the spirit we showed. It had its ups and downs but we fought all the way through.”
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“I don’t know that, I didn’t see it. I suddenly saw him get on his bike and then again in a right-hand bend, but I didn’t see it clearly. Then it is very good that the net and cushion were there," team DS Marc Reef said in words to Wielerflits.
Visma deployed all their resources two days in a row, but were fourth and third respectively with a Kuss whose form was improving by the day - with his best legs showed now in the Alps. Whilst his riders remained healthy, the lack of a win to cap the race off is disappointing.
"But right now I am mainly disappointed that we didn’t win the race, we did everything right today and had four men in the breakaway. Matteo Jorgenson and Bruno Armirail did a good job and Davide Piganzoli was also very strong. And Sepp shows that he is the best of the breakaway, but that doesn’t buy you much right now," he added.
“Right now, there is mainly disappointment. We fought hard and were well on our way. Sepp still had a 15-second lead and normally descends well. That is why this was a very good chance to win, which would have given us a boost and we would have finished this week well. Now you are left with a sour feeling".
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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- You've missed my point. I didn't defend UCI, nor Mauro. On contrary, it sounds to me more like some kind of legal doping, and I was simply wondering if the are active riders who use this approach, legitimate or not.
raven25-07-2026 - awesome story, your husband must be proud of youwhkman25-07-2026
- I mean lance bribed people at the uci to keep their mouths shut. the uci isn't that credible. and mauro is even less crediblewhkman25-07-2026
- He's an extraordinary character. A race leader who rather sacrifice his stage win, not once, not twice but thrice for his teammate during the biggest stage race in the world. This has never been done before. I don't think it will be done again. Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy this while Tadej is still in his peak. The show won't last forever.
KerisVroom25-07-2026 - And he’s already missing half a tooth from an earlier stage!!!mij25-07-2026
- I’m hoping that he would take the win at the Champs-Élysées too ;) but his critics will then say he’s selfish or he’s making the race “boring”.b3tlla25-07-2026
- Pogacar = 🥱
leedorney25-07-2026 - Pogacar = 🥱leedorney25-07-2026
- Pogacar = 🥱leedorney25-07-2026
- Gianetti also said: “And before taking on Riccò, I’d asked him to go to the UCI to be tested. The UCI then sent me a document stating that he did indeed have a naturally high haematocrit level of over 50% ". I understand Contador got such a confirmation for himself, too. I wonder how many riders in the current peloton hold that kind of attestation. We won't get any answers, of course, because it is private information.raven25-07-2026
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