"Far from ideal" is an understatement as all leaders of Visma | Lease a Bike crash again

Visma | Lease a Bike did not escape day two of the Tour of Burgos without issues. After Sepp Kuss fell on the first day, the American and Cian Uijtdebroeks were involved in crashes again in stage 2. Additionally, the Dutch team lost key rider Ben Tulett after a crash earlier in the race.

Kuss and Uijtdebroeks Were Involved in the Crash 35 Kilometers from the Finish, Alongside Tao Geoghegan Hart, Damiano Caruso, and Nairo Quintana. 'Sepp and Cian were down. "That’s of course far from ideal," said team manager Marc Reef in a press release, with a touch of understatement. According to him, Julien Vermote and Edoardo Affini quickly brought the duo back into the race.

Kuss’s minimal apparent impact from his tumble was evident from his 14th place in the stage results, finishing in the same time as winner Caleb Ewan. "We’re obviously pleased with that, but there’s still a frustrating feeling about the day. Sepp has now crashed twice in this race, and that’s far from ideal. Additionally, we lose Ben to a crash," Reef noted, referring to Tulett’s dislocated shoulder, which ended his race.

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Sepp Kuss

Visma | Lease a Bike faces challenges heading into the mountain stages in Burgos

The Tour of Burgos is only two days in, but many riders have already hit the tarmac, with the tough mountain stages in the final three days still to come. Reef commented, "I think many teams will need to assess the damage after today's major crash. There’s little time to recover. I expect the damage to Sepp and Cian won’t be too severe. If they feel good tomorrow, we’ll need to position them well for the final climb and hopefully fight for a good result."

Uijtdebroeks, Kuss, and young Johannes Staune-Mittet are still in good shape after two days, despite all the setbacks. They are 10 seconds behind the overall leader Ewan, but Thursday will feature significant climbing in Burgos, with a finish at Lagunas de Neila. After a time trial on Friday, the Spanish stage race concludes on Saturday with a tricky hilly stage to Condado de Treviño. Visma | Lease a Bike hopes to make a strong showing in the final three days as preparation for the Vuelta a España. Uijtdebroeks, Kuss, and Wout van Aert are already confirmed for that race, particularly relevant for Kuss, who will be defending his title from 2023 in the final Grand Tour of the year.

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