01/03/2024

“If you went to a race with Primoz, you knew you were fighting for the win" - Sepp Kuss will miss not having Roglic by his side in 2024

The transfer of Primoz Roglic to BORA-hansgrohe from Team Visma | Lease a Bike continues to be a big talking point within the cycling world. For his former teammate Sepp Kuss, the Slovenian will be a big miss in 2024.

“I think we will definitely miss him. He always pushed the team to the level it’s been at the last few years," Kuss reflects honestly in conversation with Eurosport for the Eurosport Cycling Show. “If you went to a race with Primoz, you were not guaranteed of the win, but you knew you were fighting for the win, and that’s something really unique."

Jonas Vingegaard, on Primoz Roglic: "It's a big loss, it would have been better if he would have stayed"

In 2023, Kuss and Roglic shared a pair of Grand Tour success together. Kuss first helping Roglic to the Maglia Rosa at the Giro d'Italia before the favour was returned as the American took overall victory at the Vuelta a Espana. With Roglic now gone though, the space for a new GC threat has opened up within Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Kuss admits his 'alter-ego' GCKuss could come out more often this year.

"There’s more space to try for, do my own things. We’ll see how that is. I’m excited for it, but it’ll be different,” he explains. “It’s always good to go into that alter ego every now and then. It’s a nice name; a nice position to be in. We’ll see how often he shows up this next year. From this past year, good memories in that role."

"It wasn't easy, Primoz is my best friend in cycling" - Jan Tratnik opens up on Roglic's departure from Visma; Pogacar and Vingegaard rivalry

“It’s a nice confidence boost that I’m capable of being there in the Grand Tours and fighting for the win," continues Kuss. “I don’t feel any need to prove anything extra or shoot for something bigger and better. I just want to improve and just go into the races with more confidence, which I think is a big factor.”

After years as the widely-regarded best super-domestique in the peloton, Kuss is expected to return the Vuelta a Espana as outright leader of Team Visma | Lease a Bike later this year. “It looks really tough,” he previews. “A lot of really steep climbs; some long ones. Almost no flat. I think it’s a race that’s going to be really hard every single day. There’s going to be a lot of breakaway stages and uphill finishes. For me I really like the look of a lot of the stages and I think it’s a pretty well-designed route."