Rider Profile
Sepp Kuss
Visma-Lease a Bike
Personal Details:
Teams history:
- 2024 - Visma-Lease a Bike
- 2023 - Team Jumbo-Visma
- 2022 - Team Jumbo-Visma
- 2021 - Team Jumbo–Visma
- 2020 - Team Jumbo-Visma
- 2019 - Team Jumbo-Visma
- 2018 - LottoNL-Jumbo
- 2017 - Rally Cycling
- 2016 - Rally Cycling
Biography:
Sepp Kuss, born in Durango, Colorado, Kuss grew up competing in a variety of sports from Nordic skiing, to kayaking and running before finally settling into cycling in his senior year of high school. As a student at the University of Colorado-Boulder studying advertising, Kuss switched from mountain biking, a discipline in which he won three collegiate titles, to a road focus in 2016.
By 2023, Kuss had a reputation as one of the best climbers in the peloton and won the GC title at the Vuelta a España with Jumbo-Visma, the first US rider to win that Grand Tour in a decade. It was the fifth straight Grand Tour of his career, and he showcased his climbing ability with a win on stage 6 of that Vuelta at the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambra. He had already proved his worth by helping Primož Roglič win the Giro d'Italia and Jonas Vingegaard capture his second Tour de France.
Top results on the road began in 2017 at North American UCI stage races, second-place overall at the Tour of Alberta and a stage win at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, earned him a multi-year contract at the WorldTour level with Lotto-Jumbo. In his first year with Jumbo, Kuss banked a full spring of experience-building race days including the Critérium du Dauphiné. After returning home, Kuss won three stages, the overall and mountains classifications at the Tour of Utah and competed in his first Grand Tour directly afterward.
In 2019, Kuss raced at the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España, where he won a stage and helped Roglič win the overall, showing himself as a loyal and strong mountain domestique. By 2020, Kuss established himself as a 'super-domestique' - riding to 15th overall in his first Tour de France while helping Roglič to second overall.
In his second Tour de France, Kuss won stage 15 in Andorra, his home base in Europe, and helped Jonas Vingegaard to second overall. In 2022, Kuss was on the Tour de France winning squad when Vingegaard claimed his first title but fell ill during the Vuelta and dropped out before stage 9.
Victories
2023
🥇Vuelta a España GC
🥇Vuelta a España stage 6
2022
🥇Vuelta a España stage 1 (TTT)
2021
🥇Tour de France stage 15
2020
🥇Critérium du Dauphiné stage 5
2019
🥇Vuelta a España stage 15
2018
🥇Tour of Utah GC
🥇Tour of Utah stage 6
🥇Tour of Utah - stage 5
🥇Tour of Utah - stage 2
2016
🥇Tour de Beauce - stage 2
🥇Redlands Bicycle Classic - stage 2
Related Articles
Analysing Jumbo-Visma's 13-man Tour de France long list
By Daniel Benson published
Analysis A closer look at the riders in contention to support Roglic
Sepp Kuss: Climbing the Grand Tour hierarchy one step at a time
By Stephen Farrand published
Feature 'I have really good days but then can have really bad days. Figuring out all that is the key to my future' says Colorado climber
Roglic roars back into red with stunning Vuelta a España stage 17 victory
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News Slovenian follows Bernal on 60-kilometre attack, then solos to Lagos de Covadonga triumph
Sepp Kuss draws confidence from fast start to Vuelta a España
By Barry Ryan published
News American takes mountains jersey as Roglič dominates opening time trial in Burgos
Vingegaard: Second at the Tour de France is really amazing for me
By Barry Ryan published
News Dane puts one foot on the podium with strong showing on Col du Portet
Tour de France 2021: Stage 15 highlights - Video
By Cyclingnews published
Video Watch as Sepp Kuss wins in high mountains of Andorra
Sepp Kuss ends 10-year-drought on American Tour de France stage wins
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News Jumbo-Visma rider solos home first on training roads in Andorra
Kuss: Pogacar has the Tour de France advantage but Roglic never gives up
By Daniel Benson, Stephen Farrand published
News 'It’s not ideal with the crash but not much changes for him' says Jumbo-Visma domestique
Blogs
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Road prep and adapting to new rules as Life Time Grand Prix begins at Fuego XL mountain bike event
Lauren De Crescenzo uses The Growler for confidence boost ride ahead of prestigious off-road series -
'Untapped gold' in store for inaugural RADL GRVL in South Australia
Nathan Haas calls gravel course 'raw, fast, exciting' after pre-ride with co-founder Valtteri Bottas -
UCI Gravel Worlds - new course, same criticisms cast doubt on event
Nathan Haas hears feedback from fellow riders on course elevation being 'selective without being stupid' -
Nathan Haas blog: We need to talk about the Unbound mud pit
Was it wrong to not re-route the course? -
Ellen van Dijk - Leading by example
'I have the chance to show the world how normal it should be to perform at a top level as a mother'