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Sepp Kuss enters the historical past books Sunday along with his hard-fought and emotional victory on the Vuelta a España.
With a slender margin, the favored and highly effective American climber turns into the primary U.S. male in a decade to win a grand tour.
Kuss defied the percentages — and generally his personal Jumbo-Visma teammates — to affix the elite membership of U.S. grand tour winners.
“I’m residing the dream at this time,” Kuss mentioned. “Normally, I’m on the opposite aspect. I’m usually on the profitable groups, however to be the one sporting the jersey is simply unbelievable. So yeah, nonetheless residing a dream.”
Additionally learn: Kuss and his remarkable journey from helper to champion
Kuss survived one other frenetic stage within the Vuelta’s finale on the imply streets of Madrid to win the general crown, and cement Jumbo-Visma’s historic grand tour clear sweep in 2023.
“It’s unbelievable,” Kuss mentioned. “I feel at this time was the stage I used to be struggling probably the most in the entire race. I’m simply glad it’s over. I had a sense it could be a quick stage once I noticed all these guys on the brink of assault. I suffered extra at this time than I did on the Angliru.”
Jumbo-Visma additionally swept the top-3 on the rostrum, a primary in nearly 60 years, with Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič sharing the highlight with the rider who was important of their six grand tour victories.
“We’ve got written historical past and have taken all three spots on the rostrum,” Vingegaard mentioned. “So clearly we’re tremendous glad and happy with how this 12 months has been. I feel we are able to name it a historic season for our workforce, so clearly glad.”
This Vuelta marked Kuss’s third straight grand tour in 2023, and he was a key member of the workforce’s victory on the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. Kuss additionally began the Tour and Vuelta in 2022, making this fifth consecutive grand tour begin.
Kuss and his podium speech from Madrid:
“It’s unbelievable to be right here. Usually I’m a bit on the market watching these two guys find yourself on the rostrum. Like I informed them earlier on the bus, for me being with these two, with Primož for the Giro and Jonas for the Tour, I really feel so proud and honored to be standing with them right here in La Vuelta.
“It has been a loopy three weeks, and I couldn’t have achieved it with out the help of Primož, Jonas, Robert, Wilco, Jan, Dylan, Attila, all people on the workforce. I feel aside from being tremendous sturdy riders, simply actually good folks and superb instances spending the three weeks with them.
“Other than them, the employees, soigneurs, mechanics, administrators, all people gave a lot. Additionally my spouse Noemi, my mother Sabina being with me at each end, in addition to my spouse’s household having fun with the highway journey by Spain and supporting me by each second on this Vuelta. I’m at all times desirous about my dad again house and my house city of Durango — a giant shout out to Durango!
Kuss then switched to Spanish to deal with the general public in Madrid:
“I additionally need to thank the entire viewers for this glorious Vuelta, as a result of with out your help, I don’t know … you gave me a lot love and a lot help in each stage, in each uphill. I may hear my title within the mountains and in lots of little locations, corners of Spain as nicely.
“For me the closeness with the viewers is what I really like about biking, and what I really like concerning the Vuelta. And this 12 months greater than ever I’ve loved a lot your love and help.
“It has helped me to deal with so many issues, so thanks very a lot.”
Sepp Kuss: ‘I’m residing the dream’
Kuss didn’t come to the Vuelta pondering of general victory, however he received stage 6 and rattled up the GC, transferring practically three minutes forward of pre-race favorites Remco Evenepoel and his teammates.
The Durango rider climbed into the pink chief’s jersey two days later, and beat the odd-makers by defending the lead within the particular person time trial to open the second week. As soon as into the Pyrénées, Kuss rose to the event, and located wings to hold pink into the ultimate week.
Controversy erupted when teammates Vingegaard and Roglič attacked Kuss in back-to-back stage victories that noticed Kuss’s lead shrink to only eight seconds.
Additionally learn: Kuss more popular in Spain than USA, but that could change
Commentators criticized the workforce’s “allow them to race” ways, and social media blew up after it appeared that Jumbo-Visma was racing in opposition to one in every of its personal.
Jumbo-Visma ordered a truce within the aftermath of the Angliru battle, and the workforce closed ranks round its affable and fashionable tremendous domestique to hold Kuss into Madrid for Sunday’s last stage.
With victory, Kuss turns into the fourth U.S. male rider to win a grand tour, becoming a member of Greg LeMond, Andy Hampsten, and Chris Horner within the document books as official winners of biking’s three-week stage races.
The Coloradan vowed that the success won’t change him as an individual.
“I’ll stay humble. There are other ways of being a champion, however I’ll stay humble,” Kuss mentioned.
“It’s life-changing, for positive, however I’ll look again on this expertise with loads of fond recollections. It’s nonetheless sinking in, that can take a while,” he mentioned in Madrid. “Tonight? An enormous celebration, household and buddies are right here, and that shall be actually particular, to be with the riders and employees to inform the tales over the previous few weeks. So many good recollections and good instances.”
US official grand tour victories:
Tour de France 1986: Greg LeMond
Giro d’Italia 1988: Andrew Hampsten
Tour de France 1989: Greg LeMond
Tour de France 1990: Greg LeMond
La Vuelta 2013: Chris Horner
La Vuelta 2023: Sepp Kuss
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