Team Jumbo-Visma finished the 14th stage of the Vuelta a España on Saturday without any problems and Durangoan Sepp Kuss kept the overall lead.
In another challenging stage in the Pyrenees, the leaders of the yellow and black squad crossed the line in the group of favorites. Kuss finished eighth, Jonas Vingegaard crossed 12th and Primoz Roglic was 15th as the they hold on to the top-three overall spots as the top-10 remained unchanged. Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-Quick Step won the stage.
The second stage in the Pyrenees took the peloton from Sauveterre-de-Béarn to Larra-Belagua. After Friday's monster stage, the riders again faced four categorized climbs. After a fast opening hour, a large breakaway opened up a gap in the peloton, controlled by Team Jumbo-Visma and race leader Kuss. Eventually, Evenepoel proved to be the strongest at the front. In the background, the group of favorites remained calm. The fast pace of Attila Valter made sure his leaders on Team Jumbo-Visma remained safe.
“We weren't worried about the escape today,” Kuss said. “It's good to see Remco riding well again together after a bad day. I'm happy for him. It was important for us to stay together as a team. We knew that the second climb of the day would be challenging. There were a few attacks, but we always controlled the situation.”
Kuss will be in the red leader’s jersey for the seventh straight stage on Sunday.
“It's been a long time since I've ridden around in the leader's jersey,” Kuss said. “The jersey motivates me a lot. It gives me sharpness and confidence. It has already been a beautiful and unforgettable week for me, no matter what happens next. There are still some tough stages ahead. We feel good, and we are ready.”
