Sepp Kuss was the first to hug Primož Roglič in Rome after they crossed the finish line of the Giro d’Italia and then celebrated with his Jumbo-Visma teammates, happy to have again played a vital role in a Grand Tour victory for Jumbo-Visma.
The 28-year-old American has been part of five Grand Tour victories in recent years, including Roglič's three victories at the Vuelta a Espana, Jonas Vingegaard’s 2022 Tour de France win and now the 2023 Corsa Rosa.
Kuss has always shown dedication to Roglič's Grand Tour ambitions, helping in the good and bad moments. He has huge admiration for the Slovenian.
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“He’s such a fighter and I think that’s what makes him a true champion; the way he overcomes all the setbacks he’s had in his career,” Kuss told Cyclingnews.
“He’s had a lot of triumphs, let's not forget that, and he makes winning look easy sometimes but the way he overcomes the low points is what separates him from the rest.”
“I was there in the key moments of the Giro but in the end, it was up to Primoz and he produced a performance. It was beautiful to see.”
Kuss has always played down his own Grand Tour ambitions but typically plays a vital role, using his climbing skills to help his team leaders in vital moments of the battle for overall victory.
He is often Jumbo-Visma’s Mr. Wolf, resolving problems when the team leaders get into trouble. He helped keep Roglic in the battle for the maglia rosa on stage 16 to Monte Bondone. Roglic was still in pain after his stage 11 crash and Geraint Thomas and Joao Almeida were riding away from him. Kuss was there and rode his heart out on the climb to help Roglic limit his time loss to 25 seconds.
“Whenever I can be there to help him out, I take a lot of pride in that,” Kuss said. “That gives me the same satisfaction as if I'd won. It’s an honour to be there to support him.”
Kuss finished an impressive sixth in the Monte Lussari time trial and then sat watching the big screen at the summit as Roglic fought with Geraint Thomas for overall victory.
He was shocked when Roglic dropped his chain, perhaps getting a flashback to the 2020 Tour de France when Roglic lost to Tadej Pogacar, but then celebrated with his teammates when it was clear Roglic had taken the maglia rosa.
Kuss cheered as he carried Roglic’s bike in the air through the crowd to the podium area and then gave Roglic an emotional hug backstage.
“It was scary to watch the end of the time trial. I thought for a moment, when Primoz dropped his chain that it was our bad luck again, in another Grand Tour.
“But I never lost hope, I was confident in the end, he’s used to overcoming adversity. That’s what makes Roglic special and how he won the Giro.”
