American Sepp Kuss earns 'life changing' Vuelta a España win
An accomplished cyclist from Colorado, Sepp Kuss has joined the ranks of esteemed American cyclists by winning one of the Grand Tours, Vuelta a España. Kuss has made history by becoming the first American cyclist to achieve this feat in over a decade, following in the footsteps of Chris Horner who won the Vuelta a España in 2013.
The Jumbo-Visma team completed Stage 21 with beaming smiles as they crossed the finish line. Prior to the stage, Kuss held a 17-second lead over his teammate, Jonas Vingegaard.
Kuss helped his teammates win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, now it's his turn to shine. On Sunday, he brought home the victory.
"It's incredible. I think today was the stage that I suffered the most of the whole race, now I'm just glad it's over," Kuss said. "It's life-changing for sure. I think I'll look back on this experience with a lot of fun memories. It's still sinking in, I think it's gonna take quite some time. Now, a big celebration. Family, friends are here, and that's gonna be really special."
Team Jumbo-Visma make history
With Sepp Kuss winning the 2023 Vuelta a España, his Jumbo-Visma teammates won the other two Grand Tours. Primož Roglič won the 2023 Giro d'Italia and Jonas Vingegaard won the 2023 Tour de France, making Jumbo-Visma the first cycling team to win all three Grand Tours in a single season.
They have become the first cycling team to sweep the Grand Tours, with no other team coming close to the achievement.
Who is Colorado native Sepp Kuss?
The "Durango kid," Kuss, was born in Durango, Colorado. He started his mountain bike racing career while studying at the University of Colorado. Kuss won three races at the Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals, two in 2014 and one in 2015.
Kuss joined the Dutch professional bicycle racing team, Team Jumbo-Visma, in 2017.
What is the "Rojo" Red Jersey?
The rider with the shortest overall time at each stage of the Grand Tour is awarded the red jersey. Kuss has impressively maintained the coveted red leader jersey since his commanding win on Stage 8 of the Vuelta a España.
In Spanish, the red jersey is commonly referred to as the 'maillot rojo'.