After 77 race days and three Grand Tours completed, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) is saying goodbye to his career-best 2023 season as the Vuelta a España Champion, with a well-earned rest on the horizon.
Kuss had already been successful in 2023 as the key climbing domestique for Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard at their respective Giro d’Italia and Tour de France victories but made history at the Vuelta as the first American to win one of cycling’s Grand Tours since Chris Horner in 2013.
Few riders complete all three Grand Tours in a season, let alone win one in the process. The last and only other rider to do so was Gastone Nencini 65 years ago, so it’s no surprise to see Kuss excited for some time away from competition.
“It’s nice not to think about racing for a while,” said Kuss to Wielerflits. “But I will still cycle for a while because that’s what I like.”
Kuss and Jumbo-Visma have been celebrating his Vuelta triumph at the team’s various locations, with a trip to the service course in s-Hertogenbosch and with business members and Fan Peloton in Amsterdam.
“After such a big tour you are mainly relieved that it is done, but there will be more celebrations and celebrations in the coming weeks,” Kuss said.
“Maybe I’ll reward myself with a gift that reminds me of these past three weeks.”
Kuss’ win completed a monumental trilogy of Grand Tour victories for the Dutch team which CEO Richard Plugge described as ‘the crowning achievement of the last ten years’ on the team’s website.
Overall victory at the Vuelta, 12th at the Tour de France and 14th at the Giro d’Italia is quite the palmarès for a single season and the extraordinary three weeks around Spain were the American’s final race days for 2023.
“I won’t be competing anymore, as far as I know,” Kuss joked to reporters. “I’ve raced enough. It’s better to end the season with a bang.”
The 29-year-old American will head to his hometown of Durango in Colorado having rounded off a long season with the biggest victory of his career.
“I think I’ll go back to the States at the end of this month. That’s a little earlier than usual,” said Kuss, who now resides in Andorra. “It will also mainly be in the offseason, so I will have more time to see everyone.”
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