"They didn't give the jersey away, they lost it" - Johan Bruyneel on Evenepoel's red jersey loss, Jumbo-Visma tactics and Sepp Kuss GC ambitions

On the 'The Move' podcast Johan Bruyneel has analyzed what was a very explosive and important stage in the Vuelta a Espana. Among the many important plot points, the Belgian talked about Remco Evenepoe, Sepp Kuss and Jumbo-Visma.

"They didn't give the jersey away, they lost it," he said of Soudal - Quick-Step and Remco Evenepoel. "You can never, never, let a leading group of forty ride. That's madness, there's no way you can control that. No way. Fortunately, they still got help from Movistar and INEOS, otherwise that group with Sepp Kuss would have been gone. If he gets more than ten minutes, how are you going to get it back?"

The former leader had said that he did not mind giving away the jersey to someone in the breakaway, but perhaps the statement led many others to give it a shot. That led to a 42-rider group which included almost half of the Top20 present. Although most don't prove a worry for Evenepoel, the likes of Lenny Martínez and Sepp Kuss - now first and second - do bring some tension, even though the work of INEOS and Movistar alongside Quick-Step largely controlled the gap from expanding uncontrollably.

"If Kuss saves himself, he can win the Vuelta uphill. The Vuelta could also have been in danger for Evenepoel, but we also have to ask ourselves whether Jumbo-Visma would be okay with Kuss being in that position?" Bruyneel wonders. "They have no guarantee that he can keep up the Vuelta for three weeks as a GC rider. I am very impressed with Kuss. When I heard he was still going to do the Vuelta I thought they had gone crazy. But they know what they're doing in that team, I'm sure they were aware that he could be prepared in a good way. He will be crucial again."

However back in the peloton Jumbo-Visma deal an equally important hit, as the duo of Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard took 32 seconds on the Belgian champion and are now right on his heel. For some minutes it seemed as if Evenepoel was to lose significant time, but he paced himself to the finish to minimize losses.

"Louis Vervaeke did a great job, by the way, while Evenepoel himself was able to limit his losses in the end. I was surprised that he was dropped, but he recovered well," he concludes.