Not everyone can be a champion, but those in proximity to Durango on Friday can experience the next best thing: ride with, get an autograph from, and view a film about Sepp Kuss – his sportsmanship, passion for, and love of cycling (Herald, Sept. 24).
The 31-year-old Kuss, son of Dolph and Sabina, outdoor sport legends in their own right, was born and raised in Durango and came up through Durango Devo, a youth-focused nonprofit that develops a love of bikes in kids. If you’ve ever had the good fortune of running across a group of littles riding on local trails, you’ve seen Devo at work – training future world champions.
The Herald’s editorial board would like to extend a warm welcome home and congratulations to Kuss, who brings pride to Durango, to Colorado, and the U.S., knowing that, in his humble and hardworking nature, as a leader and team player, he represents the best of us from his new mountain home in Andorra and abroad.
Kuss, who climbed his way to global cycling fame, claimed the overall victory at the 2023 Vuelta a España, making him the first American in a decade to win a Grand Tour and a stage win at the 2021 Tour de France. Other significant wins include his 2023 Vuelta a España stage win, stage wins at the 2019 Vuelta a España and 2020 Critérium du Dauphiné, and winning the 2018 Tour of Utah overall.
Kuss will lead the bike parade down Main Avenue (bring your helmet), joined by Olympians Todd Wells and Riley Amos, as well as national champion Cooper Wells, the 11-year-old son of Todd, and others, all of whom are Durangoans.
Kuss will host an autograph session from 3:00-4:30 p.m., after which the city’s and cycling community’s special announcement (hint: it has to do with Durango’s application to host the 2030 Union Cyclist Mountain Bike World Championship) and “Ride with Champions” bike parade will take place with lineup starting at 4:45 p.m. on the south end of Buckley Park. Then, the world premiere of “GC Kuss” (70 minutes long) will be shown on a big screen, also at Buckley, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/2jt45463 and support Durango Devo. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase from Durango businesses.
In the cycling world, GC stands for General Classification, a role Kuss assumed and his fans adopted when, during the 2023 Vuelta he took the leaders’ jersey early and dramatically moved from super-domestique supporting his highly decorated Jumbo-Visma teammates, notably Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard, to become the GC leader himself.
The film by filmmaker Charlie Howard, Kuss’s close friend, who he met at the University of Colorado – Boulder, is about Kuss’s journey from Durango Devo – including VHS footage of “The Durango Kid” (one of his nicknames) – to Grand Tour champion. Father Dolph is also featured.
“This film at its core is a love letter to Durango. It’s not just about Sepp’s incredible journey, it’s about the spirit of this place; a heritage carried through trails, friends and community that shaped who he is,” Howard said. “That spirit is at the heart of the film, and there’s nowhere else this premiere could happen but here.”
He’s right. We hope to see you there.
