Kuss shows with stage win that he wants to defend Vuelta title, Visma | Lease a Bike aims to achieve three goals

Kuss had on the first and second days in Burgos ended up on the ground, but it was clearly without serious consequences. On the eleven-kilometer Lagunas de Neila, he was clearly the strongest once his teammates’ work was done. Visma | Lease a Bike first closed the gap to the breakaway group, and then Robert Gesink and Johannes Staune-Mittet set the pace for Kuss and Cian Uijtdebroeks. The Belgian’s attack failed, but Kuss’s succeeded.

“I’m very happy with this,” beamed Kuss, who has been through a tough period in recent weeks. He contracted COVID-19 at the Critérium du Dauphiné and struggled with its aftermath for a long time. “Luckily, I’m back to my best now and the confidence is back. I’m ready to defend my title in the Vuelta,” he reflects as he looks ahead to the Tour of Spain, which starts on August 17 in Lisbon. Kuss will start as the defending champion, following last year's 1-2-3 finish with Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič.

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“It was a tough day, partly due to the heat,” Kuss reflects in a team press release. “On the final climb, I was really suffering, but I wanted to give it at least one try. When I saw that I had opened a gap, I pushed as hard as I could. I’m glad it worked out, and I want to thank my teammates for all their hard work.”

Team leader Marc Reef is proud of his rider's resurgence. “The fact that Sepp delivers such a performance in his first race back gives us a lot of confidence. After his crash yesterday, we were unsure how he would feel today,” says the Dutchman. “We had initially said we wanted to prepare for the Vuelta, aim for a strong general classification, and compete for a stage win. We’ve achieved the latter, and we’re progressing well with the other two goals. I expect a very interesting battle tomorrow in the time trial.”