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Sepp Kuss

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Sepp Kuss
Kuss at the 2023 Vuelta a España
Personal information
NicknameThe Durango Kid
The Mailman[1]
The Eagle of Durango[2][3]
Born (1994-09-13) September 13, 1994 (age 30)
Durango, Colorado
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)[4]
Weight61 kg (134 lb; 9 st 8 lb)[5]
Team information
Current teamVisma–Lease a Bike
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeClimber
Super-domestique
Amateur teams
2015Intermountain-Livewell[6]
2016Gateway Harley Davidson / Trek
Professional teams
2016–2017Rally Cycling
2018–LottoNL–Jumbo[7][8]
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
1 individual stage (2021)
Vuelta a España
General classification (2023)
2 individual stages (2019, 2023)
1 TTT stage (2022)

Stage races

Vuelta a Burgos (2024)
Tour of Utah (2018)

Sepp Kuss (born September 13, 1994) is an American professional cyclist from Durango, Colorado. He is the winner of the 2023 Vuelta a España, becoming the first American to do so since Chris Horner in 2013.[9] Kuss currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Visma–Lease a Bike,[10] where he has primarily served as a domestique. A talented climber, he has played a crucial role in helping team leaders Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard secure a combined six Grand Tour victories.[11] Throughout his career, Kuss has also achieved individual success, winning stages at both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España. He is one of only two riders to win a Grand Tour having finished all three Grand Tours in the same year.

Early life and background

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Sepp Kuss was born on September 13, 1994 in Durango, Colorado to parents Adolph and Sabina Kuss.[12] Adolph was the coach of the United States Ski Team from 1963 to 1972, and a professor of exercise science at Fort Lewis College. A significant figure in developing the outdoor sports reputation of Durango, he was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 1990.[13] His mother Sabina also taught Nordic skiing.[12]

Kuss excelled in many outdoor sports as a child, including trail running, skiing, and whitewater kayaking.[12] His favorite sport as a child was ice hockey. In fourth grade, his parents enrolled him in Durango Devo, a youth mountain bike program that has produced other significant cyclists like Olympian Howard Grotts and XC short-track world champion Christopher Blevins.[14] Kuss committed to cycling as his primary sport during his senior year of high school.[15]

Amateur career

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Mountain biking

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In 2013, Kuss enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he continued mountain biking. Kuss won three national titles at the cycling collegiate championships in XC (2014 and 2015) and Short Track (2014).[16][17] Kuss also competed internationally, racing at the 2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Lillehammer, where he finished 36th in the under 23 cross country race. The next year, at the 2015 championships in Andorra, Kuss finished 48th in the same event.[18]

During a university cycling team interview, when asked about his favorite type of racing, Kuss said "XC is my thing but I enjoy road races too," and stated that his cycling ambitions were only to "take cycling as far as I can once I finish my degree."[19]

Road cycling

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In Kuss's own words, he "slowly gravitated to road racing" over the course of college.[20] After being introduced to road cycling through a collegiate cycling club, Kuss decided in 2015 to split his effort between road and mountain biking.[6] On the road, he raced with an amateur team sponsored by Intermountain LiveWell.[21] In an interview, Kuss stated he was drawn to road cycling because of "the longer, steeper climbs, those longer efforts," which he felt suited his skills better than mountain bike courses.[20]

In 2016, Kuss joined the amateur Gateway Harley Davidson / Trek team, and decided to focus fully on road cycling. He increased his training volume and consistency, and worked to adjust to the style of modern road cycling, which he found more dynamic than the "time trial"-like efforts of mountain biking.[6] His first win on the road came in the Redlands Bicycle Classic, where Kuss beat veteran UCI WorldTour riders Lachlan Morton and Janier Acevedo on the stage 2 summit finish to Oak Glen.[22]

Kuss's surprise win drew the attention of professional teams. In May, Kuss raced at the Tour of the Gila, where he again demonstrated his climbing potential with a fourth place finish on the opening stage climb to Mogollon.[20] Following the race, where Kuss finished 14th overall, Rally Cycling announced they were signing Kuss for the remainder of the 2016 season.[23]

Professional career

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Rally Cycling (2016-2017)

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In Kuss's first stage race with Rally, the Tour de Beauce in Canada, he won a mountain stage and finished 6th overall.[12] For the remainder of the 2016 season, Kuss travelled to Europe for his first block of international road racing, including riding the prestigious Tour de l'Avenir with the US national team. In a 2020 interview, Kuss recalled "being absolutely blown away, physically and mentally, by the toughness of European racing."[21]

At the 2017 Tour of California, Kuss finished 10th on the difficult stage 5 climb to Mount Baldy.[12] This drew the attention of LottoNL–Jumbo director Merijn Zeeman, who reached out to Kuss for physiological testing. Kuss followed up with strong results for the rest of the 2017 season, including a second overall finish at the Tour of Alberta. Just days after his 23rd birthday, Kuss signed a two-year contract with LottoNL-Jumbo, to ride in the UCI WorldTour starting in 2018.[24][25] In just two years, Kuss had transitioned from a collegiate mountain biker to the highest level of road cycling. He signed his first WorldTour contract while still a college student[26]—he completed his degree in advertising at UC Boulder in late 2017.[12]

LottoNL-Jumbo (2018-present)

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Kuss struggled to start his first season with the Dutch team, getting frequent DNFs as he adjusted to WorldTour racing.[12] In August, Kuss returned to the US for the Tour of Utah. On stage 2, Kuss attacked with 45 km to the finish, catching the day's breakaway and riding solo to win the stage and go into the overall lead.[27] Kuss attacked again on stage 5, a difficult queen stage ending at Snowbird, winning by over 30 seconds, before cementing his victory with another solo attack to win the final stage 6.[28][29] Kuss finished with 3 stage wins, the mountains jersey, and the overall victory in what The Salt Lake Tribune called "the most dominant performance in the history of this event."[30]

Following his performance in Utah, Kuss was selected to ride in the 2018 Vuelta a España, his first Grand Tour. LottoNL–Jumbo management did not typically select neo-pros to Grand Tour teams, they made an exception for Kuss.[31] Kuss rode as a domestique, leading the peloton in the mountains for team leader Steven Kruijswijk, who finished the race in fourth overall.[32]

Kuss rode in the 2019 Giro d'Italia, supporting Primož Roglič who finished the race third overall.[33][34] In August, Kuss returned to the Vuelta a España. On stage 15, Kuss attacked from the breakaway on the final climb to Puerto del Acebo, riding solo for the final 6 km to claim his first Grand Tour stage win.[35] Kuss also supported Roglič throughout the race, who would go on to win the general classification. This helped cement Kuss as one of Roglič's key mountain domestiques, a partnership that would be highly successful in future Grand Tours.[36]

Kuss finished 15th overall in the 2020 Tour de France, again riding in support of Roglič. This was also the highest overall placing for an American since Andrew Talansky in 2015.

Kuss again supported Roglič's winning ride in the 2020 Vuelta a España.[37]

In July 2021, Kuss won stage 15 of the Tour de France after breaking away with 5 km to go to up the final climb of the day, the Col de Beixalis, from a group that had contained 32 riders. He was able to maintain his lead ahead of Alejandro Valverde in the 15 km that followed the pass. With this win Kuss became the first American to win a stage of the Tour de France since Tyler Farrar, who won stage 3 in 2011.[38]

Kuss at the 2022 Tour de France

During the 2021 Vuelta a España Kuss and his teammates Steven Kruijswijk and Sam Oomen rode in support of Roglič, who was going for his third consecutive Vuelta title. Kuss started the race strong taking the King of the Mountains jersey for two stages. He was one of the strongest riders in the race on the climb to Lagos de Covadonga on stage 17. As the finish line approached the sprint for second place began after Roglič won the stage and Kuss beat everyone else to the line to deny the bonus seconds to Roglič's rivals.[39] He ended the race in eighth place overall, the highest for an American since Talansky in five years earlier. This was his first top 10 in a grand tour, and Roglič once again won the Vuelta.

Kuss (right) riding in support of Primož Roglič at the 2023 Giro d'Italia

As a warmup for the upcoming Tour, Team Jumbo-Visma sent their primary favorites in Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard to the Critérium du Dauphiné, while Kuss was given the opportunity to ride in the 2022 Tour de Suisse and target the general classification. Kuss rode strong and was within +0:10 of the lead after stage 4, but prior to stage 5 the entire team had to abandon the race due to COVID.[40]

Kuss (right) riding in support of Jonas Vingegaard at the 2023 Tour de France

During the first two weeks of the 2022 Tour de France he rode in support of Roglič, Vingegaard, and Wout Van Aert as the team sought stage wins and to challenge defending champion Tadej Pogačar for the Yellow Jersey, both of which they were successful in doing. After the withdrawal of Roglič and Steven Kruijswijk crashing out on stage 15 it became clear the heavy work of defending Vingegaard would fall on Kuss in the final high mountain stages.[41] He shepherded Vingegaard up Hautacam, the final HC climb, as he had done for Roglič so many times in other grand tours, until the Dane attacked and tightened his grip on the race. The team was so successful that they held the yellow, green and polka dot jerseys as the race neared its end, and won them.[42]

Kuss rode in support of Roglič's victory in the 2023 Giro d'Italia and Vingegaard's win in the 2023 Tour de France. He rode his third Grand Tour of the year in the 2023 Vuelta a España as Jumbo-Visma attempted to become the first cycling team in history to sweep all three Grand Tours in a single season. On Stage 6, he won after attacking from a breakaway group of 40 riders, moving him into second place in the General Classification, eight seconds behind Lenny Martinez who was also in the day's breakaway.[43] Two days later, Kuss moved into the overall lead of the race after finishing a minute ahead of Martinez.[44] He successfully defended his lead for the remainder of the race, despite losing some time to Vingegaard. He became the first cyclist to both ride all three Grand Tours and win one in the same season since Gastone Nencini in 1957. Also for the first time in history, the same team has won all three grand tours in the same season.[45][46]

In 2024, Kuss was originally named in the team list for the 2024 Tour de France, but was scratched before the race began due to a Covid infection.[47]

Despite this interruption to his preparation, Kuss rode well in his next race, the 2024 Vuelta a Burgos, winning on a mountain-top finish on stage 3 and then defending to take the overall win by 5 seconds.[48] Kuss started the 2024 Vuelta a España, but was unable to defend his title and finished the race in 14th place.[49]

Personal life

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Kuss is of Slovenian descent.[50] He married Noemí Ferré Fernández, a Spanish professional cyclist, in 2022.[51]

Kuss speaks German in addition to English.[19]

Major results

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Mountain bike

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2014
National Collegiate Championships
1st Cross-country
1st Short track
2015
1st Cross-country, National Collegiate Championships

Road

[edit]
2016
1st Stage 2 Redlands Bicycle Classic
6th Overall Tour de Beauce
1st Stage 2
2017
2nd Overall Tour of Alberta
6th Overall Colorado Classic
8th Overall Tour of the Gila
9th Overall Tour of Utah
2018 (4 pro wins)
1st Overall Tour of Utah
1st Mountains classification
1st Stages 2, 5 & 6
2019 (1)
1st Stage 15 Vuelta a España
5th Japan Cup
2020 (1)
8th Overall Tour de la Provence
10th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
1st Stage 5
Vuelta a España
Held after Stage 1
2021 (1)
1st Stage 15 Tour de France
8th Overall Vuelta a España
Held after Stages 1 & 2
2022
1st Stage 1 (TTT) Vuelta a España
3rd Faun-Ardèche Classic
2023 (2)
1st Overall Vuelta a España
1st Stage 6
5th Overall UAE Tour
2024 (2)
1st Overall Vuelta a Burgos
1st Stage 3
1st Mountains classification, Tour of the Basque Country
6th Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior
8th Overall Volta ao Algarve

General classification results timeline

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Sources:[52]

Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Giro d'Italia — 56 — — — 14 —
Tour de France — — 15 32 17 12 —
Vuelta a España 65 29 16 8 DNF 1 14
Major stage race general classification results
Race 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Paris–Nice — — — — — — —
Tirreno–Adriatico — — — — 68 — —
Volta a Catalunya — DNF NH 12 — 19 13
Tour of the Basque Country DNF 95 — DNF — 41
Tour de Romandie — — 14 12 — —
Critérium du Dauphiné 34 26 10 23 — — DNF
Tour de Suisse — — NH — DNF — —


Legend
— Did not compete
IP In progress

References

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  1. ^ "'I just somersaulted': Sepp Kuss tumbles out of Tour de France top 10 after crash". VeloNews. July 22, 2023. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  2. ^ Hood, Andrew (November 10, 2022). "Who is the "Eagle of Durango" mystery pro at Single Speed CX Worlds?". CyclingWeekly. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Can Sepp Kuss win the Vuelta a España?". Outside. September 1, 2023. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  4. ^ "Team Jumbo-Visma | Sepp Kuss". Team Jumbo–Visma. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  5. ^ "Sepp Kuss". ProCyclingStats. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Malach, Pat (June 28, 2016). "Kuss looking for European experience to help sharpen skills". CyclingNews. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  7. ^ "Cheery Christmas for ambitious Team Jumbo-Visma". Team Jumbo–Visma. Team Oranje Road BV. December 21, 2018. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  8. ^ "Team Jumbo-Visma 2020 roster presented in Amsterdam". Bianchi. F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi S.p.A. December 20, 2019. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
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  10. ^ "Jumbo-Visma". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  11. ^ Mikkelsen, Sebastian (September 8, 2023). "Sepp Kuss: The USA cycling domestique who became a Grand Tour winner". olympics.com. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Lindsey, Joe (June 12, 2021). "How High Will Sepp Kuss Climb?". bicycling.com. Bicyling Magazine. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  13. ^ "Adolph Kuss - Colorado Snowsports Museum". Colorado Snowsports Museum. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  14. ^ Lord, Henry. "Where it all started — Sepp Kuss' Vuelta win means everything to his hometown of Durango, Colorado". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  15. ^ "Sepp Kuss – Riders". CyclingNews. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  16. ^ Dobbins, Ryan (October 26, 2015). "Results: 2015 XC Collegiate National Championships". pinkbike.com. Outside. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  17. ^ Schultz, Jay (October 28, 2014). "Photo Epic: U.S. Collegiate Nationals". pinkbike.com. Outside. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  18. ^ ZK, Goh (September 16, 2020). "Sepp Kuss: The climbing phenom who's American cycling's newest star". Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Sepp Kuss | Cycling Team | University of Colorado Boulder". University of Colorado. May 12, 2016. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
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  21. ^ a b "Being Pro: Sepp Kuss". Road Bike Action Magazine. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  22. ^ "Kuss takes surprise win at Oak Glen in Redlands Classic". CyclingNews. April 7, 2016. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  23. ^ "Redlands stage winner Sepp Kuss joins Rally Cycling". CyclingNews. May 26, 2016. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
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  26. ^ "Sepp Kuss - Road Cyclist - USA Cycling". USA Cycling. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
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  28. ^ Malach, Pat. "Tour of Utah: Kuss solos to stage 5 victory atop Snowbird". CyclingNews. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  29. ^ Malach, Pat (August 12, 2018). "Kuss wins 2018 Tour of Utah". Cycling News. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  30. ^ Kamrani, Christopher (August 12, 2018). "Sepp Kuss completes dominant performance with Tour of Utah victory". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  31. ^ Brown, Gregor (September 9, 2018). "American neo-pro Sepp Kuss impressing in unexpected Grand Tour debut at Vuelta a España". Cycling Weekly. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  32. ^ Brown, Gregor (October 17, 2018). "Kuss carries grand tour experience into 2019". VeloNews. Archived from the original on March 30, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  33. ^ "2019: 102nd Giro d'Italia: Start List". ProCyclingStats. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  34. ^ "Giro d'Italia 2019: Results & News". CyclingNews. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
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  36. ^ "Kuss to stay with Jumbo-Visma through 2024". CyclingNews. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  37. ^ "Sepp Kuss stays loyal at Vuelta a España to help Primož Roglič limit losses on the Angliru". VeloNews.com. November 1, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  38. ^ "Sepp Kuss wins stage 15 of the Tour de France". CyclingTips. July 11, 2021. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  39. ^ "Sepp Kuss Climbs Into First Career Grand Tour Top 10..." Outside Magazine by Andrew Hood. September 6, 2021. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  40. ^ Olivas, Cody (June 16, 2022). "COVID forces Jumbo Visma to abandon Tour de Suisse". The Durango Herald. Archived from the original on July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  41. ^ Cotton, Jim (July 19, 2022). "Sepp Kuss weathers Pyrénéan storm at Tour de France as pressure mounts on Jumbo-Visma: Kuss delivers crushing ride on road to Foix as he carries burden of shepherding Vingegard through two mountaintops to come". Velo News by Outside Magazine. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  42. ^ "Official classifications of Tour de France 2022 - Stage 21". www.letour.fr. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  43. ^ "Vuelta a Espana: Sepp Kuss wins stage six, Lenny Martinez takes lead & Jumbo-Visma make move". BBC Sport. August 31, 2023. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  44. ^ "Vuelta a España: Roglic wins stage eight and Kuss claims red jersey". The Guardian. September 2, 2023. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  45. ^ "Kuss crowned Vuelta champion as Jumbo-Visma make history". france24.com. September 17, 2023. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  46. ^ "Sepp Kuss wins Vuelta a España with Kaden Groves taking sprint finish". Guardian. September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  47. ^ "Sepp Kuss ruled out of Tour de France after COVID-19 infection at Dauphiné". June 25, 2024.
  48. ^ "Kuss takes home overall win at Vuelta a Burgos". Team Visma Lease-a-bike. August 9, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  49. ^ "'There's no excuses' – Sepp Kuss unsparing in assessment of Vuelta a España defence". CyclingNews. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  50. ^ ""Od kod se je pa ta Kuss vzel?" Iz Žvirč v Suhi krajini!".
  51. ^ "Instagram (Sepp Kuss's personal profile)". www.instagram.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  52. ^ "Our eight riders for the Vuelta a Espana". Team Jumbo-Visma. August 15, 2022. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
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