Sepp Kuss

Sepp Kuss (born September 13, 1994) is an American professional cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Team Jumbo–Visma.[3]

Sepp Kuss
Kuss at the 2017 Tour of Alberta
Personal information
NicknameThe Durango Kid
Born (1994-09-13) September 13, 1994
Durango, Colorado
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight61 kg (134 lb)
Team information
Current teamTeam Jumbo–Visma
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeClimber
Amateur team
2016Gateway Harley Davidson / Trek
Professional teams
2016–2017Rally Cycling
2018–LottoNL–Jumbo[1][2]
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
1 individual stage (2021)
Vuelta a España
1 individual stage (2019)

Stage races

Tour of Utah (2018)

Career

Kuss started out in mountain bike racing as a junior and as a student at the University of Colorado won two races at the Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals in 2014, and another in 2015 becoming a two time mountain bike xc national champion. When asked what his cycling ambitions were, he said he wanted to take cycling as far as he could after finishing his degree. When asked one person he could sit and have lunch with he answered Peter Sagan.[4]

Kuss began the 2016 season racing for the amateur Gateway Harley Davidson / Trek team. His first win was on a summit finish stage in the Redlands Bicycle Classic. Kuss finished fourth at the Mogollon stage at the Tour of the Gila, a UCI 2.2 stage race. He rode with Rally Cycling in the latter part of 2016 and during 2017, before joining LottoNL–Jumbo, initially on a two-year contract.[5]

He rode in the 2018 Vuelta a España[6] and the 2019 Giro d'Italia.[7] before getting his first grand tour stage win in stage 15 of the 2019 Vuelta a España, launching a solo attack from the day's breakaway with 7 kilometers to go, and supporting his team leader Primož Roglič who won the overall classification.[8] He finished 15th overall in the 2020 Tour de France, while 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 Espana.[9]

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 Spaniard 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.[10]

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 proved himself to be 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 2nd place began after Roglič won the stage and Kuss beat everyone else to the line to deny the bonus seconds to Roglič's rivals.[11] He ended the race in 8th place overall, the highest for an American since Talansky in five years earlier. This was his first top 10 in a grand tour, as Roglič once again won the Vuelta.

Major results
2014
National Collegiate MTB Championships
1st Cross-country
1st Short track Cross-country
2015
1st Cross-country, National Collegiate MTB Championships
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
1st Overall Tour of Utah
1st Mountains classification
1st Stages 2, 5 & 6
2019
1st Stage 15 Vuelta a España
5th Japan Cup
2020
8th Overall Tour de la Provence
10th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
1st Stage 5
Vuelta a España
Held after Stage 1
2021
1st Stage 15 Tour de France
8th Overall Vuelta a España
Held after Stages 1 & 2
2022
3rd Faun-Ardèche Classic

Grand Tour general classification results timeline
Grand Tour 2018 2019 2020 2021
Giro d'Italia — 56 — —
Tour de France — — 15 32
Vuelta a España 65 29 16 8
Legend
— Did not compete
IP In progress

References
  1. "Cheery Christmas for ambitious Team Jumbo-Visma". Team Jumbo–Visma. Team Oranje Road BV. December 21, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  2. "Team Jumbo-Visma 2020 roster presented in Amsterdam". Bianchi. F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi S.p.A. December 20, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  3. "Jumbo-Visma". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  4. "Sepp Kuss". University of Colorado. May 12, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Sepp Kuss signs with LottoNL-Jumbo". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. September 20, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  6. "2018: 73rd Vuelta a España: Start List". Pro Cycling Stats. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  7. "2019: 102nd Giro d'Italia: Start List". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  8. "Vuelta a España stage 15: American Sepp Kuss takes stunning solo victory, Primoz Roglic retains lead". VeloNews. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  9. "Sepp Kuss stays loyal at Vuelta a España to help Primož Roglič limit losses on the Angliru". VeloNews.com. November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  10. "Sepp Kuss wins stage 15 of the Tour de France". CyclingTips. July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  11. "Sepp Kuss Climbs Into First Career Grand Tour Top 10..." Outside Magazine by Andrew Hood. September 6, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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