/coloradan/ en /coloradan/2024/07/16/breakaway-sepp-kusss-unlikely-path-world-tour-cycling <span>In the Breakaway: Sepp Kuss's Unlikely Path to World Tour Cycling</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-07-16T00:00:00-06:00" title="Tuesday, July 16, 2024 - 00:00">Tue, 07/16/2024 - 00:00</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/coloradan/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-thumbnail/trainingsbeeld_shirt_2024.jpg?h=469a827b&amp;itok=VaBNzBqC" width="1200" height="800" alt="Sepp Kuss"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/coloradan/taxonomy/term/78"> Profile </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/coloradan/taxonomy/term/1527" hreflang="en">Cycling</a> <a href="/coloradan/taxonomy/term/232" hreflang="en">Sports</a> <a href="/coloradan/taxonomy/term/1552" hreflang="en">World Tour</a> </div> <span>Kelsey Simpkins</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-above"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/coloradan/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/article-image/trainingsbeeld_shirt_2024.jpg?itok=0TG23YdF" width="1500" height="1001" alt="Sepp Kuss"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>When <strong>Sepp Kuss</strong> (Advert鈥�17) made his move and broke away from a group of fellow cyclists, gaining a significant lead on day six of the three-week-long Vuelta a Espa帽a last September, his competitors weren鈥檛 concerned.</p> <p>They should have been.</p> <p>Kuss didn鈥檛 just win that day鈥檚 stage 鈥� he gave it his all to maintain his lead every day over the next two weeks 鈥� up and down steep mountain climbs, across long flat sprints and through all-out time trials.</p> <p>When he crossed the finish line first in Madrid, Kuss not only won his first Grand Tour, he also made history three times over: as the first American cyclist in 10 years to win a Grand Tour; the second American to win the Vuelta a Espa帽a; and the first cyclist in over 65 years to ride all three, three-week-long Grand Tours and win one in the same season. His team, Jumbo-Visma, swept the podium and became the first in history to win all three Grand Tours in a single season.</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檓 living the dream today,鈥� Kuss said <a href="https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/vuelta-a-espana/sepp-kuss-makes-history-with-breakthrough-vuelta-a-espana-win/" rel="nofollow">to <em>Velo</em> after the race</a>. 鈥淯sually, I鈥檓 on the other side. I鈥檓 often on the winning teams, but to be the one wearing the jersey is just incredible.鈥�&nbsp;</p> <p>In multi-stage cycling races, the winning cyclist is the rider who achieves the fastest total time when each day鈥檚 times are added together. The strategy that drives cycling teams is that by working together instead of individually, a group of support riders can give one pre-chosen leader the best chance to make the best overall time, and to win the entire race.</p> <p>Kuss has long been a dedicated support rider 鈥� and his team鈥檚 secret sauce for success. But this year, for the first time in his career, he will ride as the team lead in several one-week races, as a key team player alongside recent two-time champion and teammate Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour de France, and to defend his title in Spain.</p> <p>Originally from Durango, Colorado, Kuss began mountain biking in 6th grade. Kuss鈥� childhood trainer Chad Cheeney<a href="https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/sepp-kuss-and-his-journey-from-scrawny-mtb-kid-to-vuelta-a-espana-champion/" rel="nofollow"> has described him as a 鈥渘atural explorer鈥�</a> who also tried skiing, running, ice hockey and kayaking. Compared to his peers, he wasn鈥檛 a stand-out on two wheels, but things started to change after he joined the 兔子先生传媒文化作品 cycling community.&nbsp;</p> <p>During his time as a Buff, he won several Collegiate National Championships in mountain biking and road racing 鈥� and finally committed to professional road cycling before graduation, signing his first WorldTour contract.&nbsp;</p> <p>Since joining his current international team in 2018, he has become one of the most beloved cyclists in the sport; his persistent, hard-working, humble nature is the common denominator in his team鈥檚 seven victorious Grand Tours.</p> <p>Kuss will compete in the Tour de France for the fifth time this summer on (now-titled) 鈥淭eam Visma Lease a Bike.鈥� He鈥檒l be a contender, especially after finishing in 12th place in 2023, but whether or not he gets a shot at the podium won鈥檛 be up to him. It will be a matter of team strategy.</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檝e realized that I am capable of leading a Grand Tour and being very consistent on almost every stage, but now I know more than ever how hard it is to be a team leader,鈥� Kuss said in <a href="https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/a-new-card-to-play-heres-whats-new-as-sepp-kuss-kicks-off-2024/" rel="nofollow">a post-Vuelta a Espa帽a interview</a>.</p> <p>Leading a cycling team is about commitment, consistency and the ability to perform under continual pressure. Last fall, Kuss proved his ability 鈥� leveraging the element of surprise. This year, his competitors won鈥檛 be so keen to let him break away.&nbsp;</p> <p>But Kuss still has something up his sleeve that no one else can beat: the many years he has dedicated to supporting his teammates. When he is asked to lead, not only will he be ready, they'll be ready to ride for him.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>*<strong>Editor鈥檚 note</strong>: Sepp Kuss announced he would not be competing in the 2024 Tour de France due to COVID-19. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8sPw2euNuB/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">According to Sepp鈥檚 social media</a>, he plans to support from home and 鈥渞efocus on the next part of the season.鈥�&nbsp;</em></p> <hr> <p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/coloradan/submit-your-feedback" rel="nofollow"> <span class="ucb-link-button-contents"> <i class="fa-solid fa-pencil">&nbsp;</i> Submit feedback to the editor </span> </a> </p> <hr> <p>Photo courtesy Team Visma Lease a Bike</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>How international cycling鈥檚 best-kept secret learned to lead from behind. </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000 Anonymous 12313 at /coloradan /coloradan/2023/11/06/sepp-kuss-wins-vuelta-espana <span>Sepp Kuss Wins Vuelta a Espa帽a</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-11-06T00:00:00-07:00" title="Monday, November 6, 2023 - 00:00">Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/coloradan/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-thumbnail/sm-gettyimages-1684799380.jpg?h=e634d326&amp;itok=gi3vlNML" width="1200" height="800" alt="Sepp Kuss winning the Vuelta de Espa帽a"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/coloradan/taxonomy/term/56"> Gallery </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/coloradan/taxonomy/term/1527" hreflang="en">Cycling</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-above"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p><strong>Sepp Kuss</strong> (Advert鈥�17), center, won the Vuelta a Espa帽a, one of professional cycling鈥檚 three European Grand Tours.He is the first <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2023/09/17/sepp-kuss-vuelta-a-espana-win-durango-colorado/" rel="nofollow">American to win a Grand Tour in 10 years</a>.</p><p>鈥淎t some point, I felt it was possible. I was getting stronger and more confident every day,鈥� Kuss said after the race.鈥淭his is an achievement I will remember for the rest of my life.鈥�</p><p>Kuss is from Durango, Colorado, and was a bike racer at 兔子先生传媒文化作品 as a student.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/coloradan/submit-your-feedback" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-pencil">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;Submit feedback to the editor</span></a></p><hr><p>Photo Courtesy Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images</p><p><br>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Kuss is the first American to win a Grand Tour in 10 years.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <a href="/coloradan/fall-2023" hreflang="und">Fall 2023</a> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/coloradan/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-10/sm-gettyimages-1684799380.jpg?itok=_jV8sNG3" width="1500" height="1000" alt="Sepp Kuss"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000 Anonymous 12082 at /coloradan