Kuss to replace Gesink in Jumbo-Visma's Giro d'Italia squad

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Sepp Kuss will replace the injured Robert Gesink in Jumbo-Visma’s line-up at this month’s Giro d’Italia, the team have confirmed. Gesink was originally slated as one of the seven men to support Primoz Roglic at the Corsa Rosa, but the Dutchman suffered a broken collarbone and pelvis in a crash during Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Kuss has been training at altitude recently ahead of the Tour of California, so the American should be able to slot into the team with relative ease. The Giro will be Kuss’ second Grand Tour and his first appearance at the Italian race.

The 24-year-old Kuss turned professional with Jumbo-Visma last year, having previously raced with the US Rally team. He made a big impression in the latter half of the year, winning the Tour of Utah before going on to debut at the Vuelta a España. At the Spanish Grand Tour, Kuss was one of the key riders in the mountains for team leader Steven Kruijswijk.

Floris De Tier was initially intended to be on the Giro d’Italia squad but the Belgian has been suffering with a bowel inflammation recently. According to Het Nieuwsblad, he will now turn his focus onto the Tour of California, Tour of Norway and Tour de Suisse.

In the build-up to the Giro d’Italia, Jumbo-Visma have kept the vast majority of their team racing together across the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico in February and March. In April, a number of the team, including Gesink, headed to the Ardennes while Jos van Emden is with Roglic at the Tour de Romandie this week.

Kuss has not raced with any of the other Giro d’Italia riders so far, competing in a solely Spain-based programme so far. His last race was the Itzulia Basque Country at the start of April.

Jumbo-Visma for the Giro d’Italia: Primoz Roglic, Sepp Kuss, Koen Bouwman, Laurens De Plus, Jos van Emden, Paul Martens, Tom Leezer and Antwan Tolhoek