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“Am I able to successful the Tour de France? Sure, why not? You must shoot for that.” These had been the phrases of Sepp Kuss in an interview with Wielerflits, revealed on Tuesday.
It’s a good assertion, and one which exhibits a shift within the American’s mindset. Now a Grand Tour winner himself, having won last year’s Vuelta a España, Kuss’s function is reworking, from a selflessly loyal domestique, to a rider together with his personal GC ambitions. He believes that he can win massive, and who might blame him?
Kuss’s Vuelta victory was an instant hit with the fans. It marked his first stage race win at WorldTour stage, and solely his second after the 2018 Tour of Utah. Crucially, although, it confirmed him as an assured GC chief.
For the 29-year-old, it left him hungry for extra. “In fact I would like that,” he stated when requested if he’d prefer to have his palms within the air extra typically. “Nevertheless it’s not one thing I’ve to do. The Vuelta victory has made me have extra confidence in myself. However I don’t really feel the necessity to do one thing I’m not able to.”
What in regards to the Tour? “Sure, why not?”
To gauge Kuss’s possibilities of successful the yellow jersey this summer season, first we’ve got to take a look at the race route. The mountains are the American’s bread and butter – few climb higher than him – and the highway goes uphill from day one in Florence, Italy, with the Col du Galibier coming as early as stage 4. A complete of 5 summit finishes will play into his palms. The time trials, nevertheless, much less so.
Kuss will face two checks in opposition to the clock this July, albeit ones with climbs. The primary arrives on day seven, via the Bourgogne vineyards, and packs a measly 1.6km ascent at 6.1%. The second is the race decider, from Monaco to Good on the ultimate day, up and over the 10km-long Col d’Èze. Kuss ought to fare nicely – however will he fare higher than his team-mate, time trial and climbing sensation Jonas Vingegaard?
(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
The Vingegaard query is the true hurdle to Kuss’s Tour success. Overlook beating the opposite GC contenders, first he’ll must win the hierarchy battle inside his personal crew.
“Strategically talking, it doesn’t damage to begin with two leaders,” Kuss instructed Wielerflits. Visma-Lease a Bike has tried this earlier than, in equity, and with success, too. On the Tour in 2022, Primož Roglič wore the primary dossard, flanked by Vingegaard, who went on to win after the injured Slovenian withdrew.
The identical duo got down to share management eventually 12 months’s Vuelta, as nicely, each ending on the rostrum behind Kuss.
Nonetheless, there have been murmurs – loud ones too – that Roglič and Vingegaard weren’t so content material taking part in second fiddle to their domestique in Spain. They even appeared to assault Kuss, leaving him floundering in a bid to hang onto his red jersey on the Altu de L’Angliru. He did, and Roglič left the team for Bora-Hansgrohe on the finish of the season.
Some argue that Vingegaard might have gained that Vuelta, had he not in the end determined to help Kuss. By that very same line of considering, who’s to say Kuss couldn’t have gained the previous few Excursions, had he not ridden in help of Vingegaard? In any case, the what-iffery is futile.
With Roglič’s departure, Kuss expects there can be “extra choices” for him going ahead, “extra room” to tackle a management function. “I believe Jonas and I also can work nicely collectively,” the American defined. “We’ve got related qualities within the mountains. It’s all the time good for us to have two riders on the high of the rankings.”
Vingegaard, nevertheless, may see it in another way. Will the Dane, the winner of the final two Excursions, need to share management in crucial race on his calendar? In all probability not, particularly if the rider he is sharing with is his most valued mountain lieutenant. Will the crew actually need to upset a successful system?
This, in the long run, is probably going the place Kuss’s yellow jersey hopes fizzle out. So long as Vingegaard is aggressive, the hierarchy appears to be like set within the Dane’s favour at Visma-Lease a Bike. He is beneath contract till the top of 2028, too.
That stated, it is testomony to Kuss that he desires to win biking’s greatest prize, and believes in his means to take action. For now, although, not less than, a podium end may be extra on the playing cards.
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