Sepp Kuss falls short in the Vuelta but has a key reason to stay focused on 2024

51 weeks ago, Sepp Kuss stood triumphantly on the top step for the Fuente de Cibeles in Madrid as the Vuelta winner. This year, former teammate Primoz Roglic took the spotlight in the Spanish capital, while Kuss, greeted by the same number of family members as last year, quickly disappeared with a pizza in hand.

The American lost a spot in the general classification on the final day to Cristian Rodriguez of Arkéa - B&B Hotels, but he didn’t seem too concerned about it. Upon arriving at Gran Via in Madrid, a real Kuss army awaited him, with his wife Noemi Ferré and their dog Bimba as the shining center of attention.

Bimba clearly had his mouth aimed at the cheek of the man of the house, who wasn’t particularly eager to recount the past three weeks of racing. Kuss had frequently spoken during the tour about "good and bad days", "excellent and lesser moments," and seemed eager to quickly forget this edition of the Vuelta.

Kuss awaits a personal highlight

In this way, 2024 hasn’t turned out as he had hoped. After a mediocre to fair start in Spain and Portugal, a COVID-19 infection during the Critérium du Dauphiné left him struggling to recover. The Tour de France, where he was expected to be a key support for Jonas Vingegaard, turned out to be unfeasible, and there was also a long-standing question mark over his participation in the Vuelta.

"It was very strange. I was extremely fatigued for several weeks, so I couldn’t imagine finishing the Tour. Fortunately, those complications eventually went away, but it took a long time," the American said.

In Madrid, he had to conclude that the COVID-related preparation had indeed affected his sharpness. The tour, marked by ups and downs, ended on a down note, leading Kuss to be eager to turn the page on 2024 in cycling. On a personal level, however, a highlight awaits, as his wife Noemi is expected to give birth to their first child in a few weeks. For this reason, Kuss will not be competing in the World Championships.

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Niermann: "Sepp didn’t reach the level we hoped for"

Team manager Grischa Niermann provided a post-race review for Visma | Lease a Bike. "Sepp didn't reach the level we were hoping for. He was very strong at some finishes but at times wasn’t strong enough to keep up with the competition. Additionally, we unfortunately lost Dylan van Baarle early on, and Cian Uijtdebroeks also had to abandon the Vuelta prematurely. Robert Gesink, Edoardo Affini, Steven Kruijswijk, and Attila Valter all had commendable performances."

"As a team, we faced several setbacks, but we need to cherish the great moments with Wout van Aert," the German continued. "With Wout, we won three stages, which is a fantastic result that any team would be more than happy with. We were on track to win the green jersey and maybe even the polka dot jersey. There were also several good opportunities for him in the last week, but unfortunately, his crash on Tuesday spoiled our plans."