Sepp Kuss looking to defend Vuelta a Espana title but contains expectations: "I don't see myself as the top favorite"
Cycling
It's not been an easy year for Sepp Kuss. After helping Primoz Roglic win the Giro, doing the same with Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour and winning the Vuelta a España himself in 2023, the American didn't get good results in the races he rode in the first part of the year and then missed the Tour because of Covid-19. However, he has just won the Vuelta aBurgos, so he is full of confidence to try to defend the red in Madrid.
The Visma - Lease a Bike has announced the team with which it will try to defend Kuss' victory starting this coming Saturday, August 17 in Lisbon. As we mentioned, having won again has made the American regain confidence in his chances:
"It was a very satisfying feeling to win in Burgos. It had been a long time since I had raced. It was a good confirmation. I quickly got over the disappointment of missing the Tour, but it was definitely a letdown. Luckily, afterwards I was able to focus on the Vuelta."
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He is aware that winning the Vuelta is not the same as winning in Burgos, although he assures that he is fully recovered physically for the challenge. There he beat Max Poole and Finn Fisher-Black, but it was a race where the time-trial was key and the American is far from a specialist in the discipline.
"The win in Burgos gave me confidence, but what I was most happy about was getting back on the bike and riding with the guys. I know the Vuelta will be a completely different story, with a different course and different competition," he continues. "A lot can happen in a three-week race, but I'm happy to feel good physically and mentally. I took it easy for a few days after the COVID-19 infection, but I was able to train well afterwards."
Not a favorite
However, despite his victory last year, he wants to take the pressure off himself and makes it clear from the outset that he is not the favorite to revalidate the title in Madrid:
"It's hard for me to make firm predictions about this Vuelta. I'm starting with a different preparation than in other years. Above all, I want to enjoy the next few weeks. I don't see myself as the top favorite for the final victory. I'm ready to lead the team in the Vuelta, but I don't feel any pressure. I hope I can adapt to the race and quickly find a good rhythm."
A resident in Spain, Kuss is certainly motivated to perform once again in the country he considers a home away from home: "I always enjoy racing the Vuelta. The people along the route are very friendly; they chant my name and make me feel appreciated. This is one of the reasons why I am very excited to race the Vuelta in the next few weeks. I will race as a proud title defender."
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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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- On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And yet, it attracts people, even you. What’s more, it attracts the rival fanboys to fill cyberspace with endless pointless my hero is better than your hero blabla that’s all been heard before and only helps sell the site as an advertising platform. You know what the solution is but most can’t resist. No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- he is doing 460 watts for 35 min to achieve 7 w/kg with VO2 at 96 , just unreal numbers.abstractengineer08-11-2026
- Just do it, and put up with the consequencesJumpyjohn08-11-2026
- "was a headliner at the Tour de France" Nobody cared about Piddie. Only rivals that were there for Pogi, Jonas, Remco, Sexias, Lipo, Del Toro and they were all expected to lose. Piddie was not even in any conversation.abstractengineer08-11-2026
- exactly, he had an amazing season, but with these overstatements they don‘t do him good.Ketterechts08-11-2026
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🇪🇸 #LaVuelta24 If it’s painted on Azulejo tiles, it must be true. 🖌️ This is our Vuelta line-up!
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