Watts Occurring Sepp Kuss on winning La Vuelta, racing his teammates, and what's next as a Grand Tour winner
Dec 12, 2023
Professional cyclist and winner of the Vuelta a Espana, Sepp Kuss, joins the podcast to discuss his amazing 2023 season, his plans for 2024, and his thoughts on racing his teammates. They also talk about the challenges of winning a Grand Tour and the tactics and challenges of the Giro d'Italia. Sepp Kuss shares his changed ambitions and desire to participate in the Tour and return to the Vuelta as the defending champion.
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Reset Between Grand Tours Was Short But Purposeful
- After the Giro Kuss took a week easy, got sick, then did a hard training block to prepare for the Tour; he felt calm because his Giro form told him he had little more to prove.
- He viewed the Tour as another step rather than a must-win, focusing on one race at a time.
Spectator Phone Caused A Harsh Tour Crash
- Kuss crashed because a spectator held a phone into the road; he described a whiplash crash, a rest day, then further incidents but he still finished the Tour and later won a stage.
- He emphasized being grateful simply to finish after multiple crashes.
Team Radio Controlled Breakaway Gap Intentionally
- In a Vuelta break Kuss and teammates initially rode hard but team radio managed the gap to target a specific margin at the climb base.
- The team consciously controlled the break's advantage (around four minutes) rather than open it up more.