Sepp Kuss’ teamwork critical for Roglic’s lead at Spanish Vuelta

Durango rider sacrifices individual result Sunday for team goals

Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 3:41 PM

Durango rider sacrifices individual result Sunday for team goals

Durango’s Sepp Kuss, second from front, turned in another stunning climbing performance Sunday at the Spanish Vuelta, this time on the famed Alto de l’Angliru. Though he might have been able to go for the stage win, he stayed back to assist team leader Primož Roglic and help him finish fifth. Kuss was sixth.

Courtesy of Team Jumbo-Visma

A weekend in the mountains, a rest day and a big individual time trial Tuesday saw dynamic racing and a few lead changes. Going into the final five

Team Jumbo-Visma leader and defending champion Primož Roglic regained the leader’s red jersey Tuesday at the Vuelta a España, the last of the three Grand Tour road cycling races of the year. It might not have been possible without the support from Durango’s Sepp Kuss on a grueling mountain stage Sunday.

Roglic lost the red jersey Sunday with a fifth-place finish atop Alto de L’Angliru, one of the steepest climbs in all of professional cycling and a famed route of the Spanish Vuelta. Roglic was 26 seconds behind stage winner Hugh Carthy, who won in 3 hours, 8 minutes, 40 seconds. He was also 10 seconds behind fourth place Richard Carapaz of the INEOS Grenadiers after he entered the day tied with Carapaz for the overall lead.

Kuss, 26, finished sixth on the Angliru in the same time as Roglic. It was his teamwork that helped Roglic stay within striking distance of Carapaz on a bad day for the Slovenian. It looked as though Kuss had the form to go for the stage win, but he was a willing teammate to help make sure Roglic didn’t lose too much time in the battle for the general classification victory.

“I didn’t have my best day, but in the end I can’t be dissatisfied with the result,” Roglic said Sunday in a Team Jumbo-Visma news release. “I am still in a good position overall, and I am very happy with that. Of course, I would have liked to gain time rather than losing it, but it is what it is. The team was again very strong and very impressive. They are all riding at a very high level. I feel sorry for Sepp, because he certainly could have won the stage. But I also want to thank him for the support in the last kilometers. Without him, I would have lost more time.”

Sepp Kuss, a 26-year-old from Durango, has maintained his poise and team-first attitude throughout the 2020 Spanish Vuelta, proving to be a key force behind the Team Jumbo-Visma success.

Courtesy of Team Jumbo-Visma

Kuss had eyes on the Angliru going into the Vuelta and showed once more his superstar climbing status on the beyond categorization ascent. The Durangoan jumped six spots in the overall standings to 14th on Sunday with his sixth-place finish.

After a rest day Monday, Team Jumbo-Visma focused on the Stage 13 individual time trial that was nearly 21 miles. A climbing finish saw riders swap time trial bikes for their road bikes before the climb.

Roglic made up serious time in the final third of the route. He was 17 seconds off the lead time at the second time check, but he would finish in 46 minutes, 39 seconds, one second better than CCC Team rider Will Barta to earn the stage victory. It was Roglic’s fourth stage win of this Vuelta as he looks to win the event for a second consecutive year.

To make the stage win even more sweet, Roglic finished 49 seconds faster than Carapaz to build a 39-second lead on the Ecuadorian rival. Carthy of Great Britain is third, 47 seconds behind.

It was a sweet victory for Roglic, who saw his Tour de France lead evaporate in a time trial on the penultimate day of the Tour when Tadej Pogacar stormed to victory to swipe the yellow jersey away.

“Finally I win another time trial,” Roglic said in a Team Jumbo-Visma news release Tuesday. “It was a while ago. I felt strong today. I found that surprising, because I thought I would suffer a lot more. Many people thought that I would take much time very easily, but in the end, everyone starts such a time trial with equal opportunities. ... Fortunately I had good legs today and I was able to do a nice time trial. We have to stay focused now and keep fighting to the end.”

Durango’s Sepp Kuss took to the individual time trial Tuesday at the 2020 Spanish Vuelta. He remained in 14th place overall.

Courtesy of Team Jumbo-Visma

Kuss remained in 14th overall after he finished the time trial 36th, 3:05 behind Roglic’s fastest time.

There are five stages left in this year’s Vuelta, which was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kuss and Team Jumbo-Visma will look to keep Roglic in the red jersey through Sunday’s finish in Madrid.

Wednesday’s Stage 14 will be a day for the sprinters if an early breakaway is unable to get all the way to the finish line of a 127-mile hilly stage with three Category 3 climbs.

Five Category 3 climbs await Thursday on a 143.5-mile day. It will be a good day for breakaway attacks.

Friday and Saturday will feature the last two real climbing days of this Vuelta. Friday has a Category 2 and Category 1 climb before a downhill sprint finish. Saturday features six categorized climbs, including an early Category 1 and a beyond category finish atop Alto de la Covatilla. It will be the last battle for the red jersey before Sunday’s flat ride into Madrid.

“We are happy that Primož is in good shape, and he will give everything to bring the red jersey to Madrid,” Jumbo-Visma director Frans Maassen said. “In any case, our leader is surrounded by a strong team. We will see what the next few days are going to bring. We can expect quite a few attacks.”

jlivingston@durangoherald.com