"Maybe that beer in the Vuelta gave me mental freshness" - Sepp Kuss on the importance of nutrition in cycling

In his third Grand Tour of 2023, Sepp Kuss stunned the world and the his teammates to claim the biggest win of his career and take home overall victory at the Vuelta a Espana.

A key part in Kuss' continued impressive performances over recent years has been the attention to detail of Team Visma | Lease a Bike in a rider's nutrition. "It helps us to perform better, because it remains our job. But everyone has to find their own way," the American tells L'Equipe. "There are certain things a rider needs that I may not need. Being very precise with food, for example: I feel what I need and I do it with that. I eat more or less what I want, except during races where everything is prepared."

Even someone as dedicated as Kuss can let himself go at times during a big race though, as seen by his downing of the celebratory champagne of the Vuelta a Espana podium. "That's how I am. You can always take things very seriously, but in reality you should do what makes you happy and not think about every detail. Otherwise it costs energy. We are all human, with things we love and enjoy doing," Kuss recalls.

"This gives us a free spirit and allows us to do the best we can on the bike," he continues. "Maybe that beer in the Vuelta gave me mental freshness, even if it wasn't the best physically."

In the end, there were many more reasons for Kuss to celebrate he led home a complete Visma podium in a display of utter domination from his team. Perhaps, proving their dedication to nutrition is more than worth it.

"Yes, a lot is calculated, but not everything is checked. You have all the tools at your disposal and you can use them, but you don't have to follow everything from A to Z," he concludes. "For me it is very good to have such a structure, I have everything I need to do my job. And the staff knows me as a rider and a person."