"Thanks to a good training build-up after the Tour, he has been able to maintain a very high level" - Marc Reef explains how Sepp Kuss has peaked in his third Grand Tour of the year

Incredibly, Sepp Kuss is looking more and more likely to take the biggest win of his career in his third Grand Tour of the year at the Vuelta a Espana. But just how is the American able to keep producing such brilliant performances? Jumbo-Visma's Marc Reef explains.

“Initially this has to do with his physical capabilities," the sports director tells Wielerflits in a Vuelta a Espana rest day interview. "The past has shown that he can perform a Grand Tour at a high level. He always finishes around fifteenth place in a ranking and in 2021 he once finished eighth in the Vuelta. The second is that he only had to be there for a few moments in the other two Grand Tours. Of course he had to show a very high level in the mountains. His qualities were also reflected there. But in the other stages he didn't have to do much work and it was basically just following and finishing."

Kuss has long been viewed as the best super domestique in the peloton and many fans have been imploring Jumbo-Visma to give him a general classification chance of his own. Whilst that wasn't initially the plan here at the Vuelta, the immense form of the American sees him 1:37 and 1:44 ahead of Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard respectively.

"Sepp is simply one of the best climbers in the world," praises Reef. "In addition to the Giro and the Tour, Sepp only rode the UAE Tour and the Tour of Catalonia. In the past, riders often rode all three Grand Tours, but many other races were added. That was not the case with Sepp, he rested well in between."

"Thanks to a good training build-up after the Tour, he has been able to maintain a very high level. Finally: the Vuelta is the Grand Tour that Kuss holds closest to his heart. The way of racing, the country, the life, that really suits him. He is always super motivated for the Vuelta," Reef concludes. "In previous years he also reached his highest physical level here. What is that reason for? Sometimes riders have that. Some are good in the spring, others emerge in bad weather, some can always do something extra in July and Sepp has that during this period.”