"Main goal for me is to get into race rhythm" - Sepp Kuss returns to racing and leads Team Visma | Lease a Bike at 2024 Vuelta a Burgos

With the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the history books, just one Grand Tour remains in 2024. For defending champion Sepp Kuss, preparation for the Vuelta a Espana will begin at the Vuelta a Burgos.

"I feel good," says Kuss, who was forced to skip the Tour de France due to a positive covid test, in a pre-race conversation with Team Visma | Lease a Bike's official website. "It took a while for me to recover from my illness, but my preparation for this period went smoothly. Unfortunately, participating in the Tour was not possible for me, but the altitude training camp in Tignes with some teammates did me good."

"The Tour of Burgos is a perfect preparation for the Vuelta,” the dependable American continues. “We will be riding on similar roads and in the same warm weather conditions. There are some challenging stages where I want to show myself, but the main goal for me is to get into race rhythm. I hope to finish the tour with a good feeling and that I can put the finishing touches on it towards the Vuelta.”

This time last year, Team Visma | Lease a Bike (then named Jumbo-Visma ed.) had the Maglia Rosa from the Giro d'Italia and the Maillot Jaune from the Tour de France already in the bag. This time around however, things haven't quite being going as well for those in yellow and black. In the defending Vuelta a Espana champion Kuss however, the team head to Spain full of optimism.

“In addition to Sepp, Cian Uijtdebroeks has also had a rest and training period. They were both able to prepare themselves well in Tignes. We certainly want to achieve a good result, but our main goal is to leave the Tour with a good feeling," adds Team Visma | Lease a Bike sports director, Marc Reef. "We see the Tour of Burgos as an ultimate incentive towards the Vuelta. In addition, young riders such as Ben Tulett and Johannes Staune-Mittet will get their chance to show themselves.”