"Next year I don't know what to expect" - Sepp Kuss anticipates battle between Jumbo-Visma and UAE

Sepp Kuss has thrived in his main task in 2022 once again, as he supported the team to Tour de France success, mainly pacing for Jonas Vingegaard in the mountains of the second and third week. He expects a similar battle in 2023.

“UAE has brought in very good riders like Adam Yates. But we will continue with a close-knit team, with riders who can win on all terrains," Kuss told Spanish newspaper Marca in a recent interview. "But Jonas wants to defend his title in the Tour de France. Others go for the Giro, which includes a lot of time trial kilometers. We don't know yet, but there is still time to determine who goes where.”

Jumbo have not yet decided on their schedule for the year, but it is clear that defending their Tour de France title will be one of the main goals. Tadej Pogacar has confirmed he will focus in the Tour, and Jumbo-Visma is yet to confirm what Grand Tours it's leaders will go for.

“I would like to go to the Tour and then to the Vuelta. But I would also like to ride the Giro someday. Only that part of the year, in the spring, I usually don't feel very well," he admits. Kuss has now ridden the Tour-Vuelta combo for three consecutive seasons, but may look for a change - albeit unlikely.

“This year we had Primoz and Jonas in a really good position to attack Tadej, but next year I don't know what to expect. The most important thing is that we have a strong team across the board, able to handle different situations," Kuss concluded.