‘I had goosebumps the whole day’ - Daring attack sees Sepp Kuss rise six places into the Vuelta a España top-five on penultimate day

Sepp Kuss, a rider for Visma-Lease a Bike, experienced an extraordinary day during the 2026 Vuelta a España. Initially sitting in 11th place and more than eleven minutes behind race leader Enric Mas, Kuss seized an opportunity on a chaotic day of racing in Andalucia to surge forward and climb into the top-five of the General Classification.

Over 50 cyclists launched an attack from the lead group, including the entire Visma-Lease a Bike team, minus Kuss himself. As the peloton battled their way through four major climbs throughout the day, Kuss' moment to make his move arrived. After two failed attempts on the first ascent of the Puerto de el Purche, Kuss successfully executed a more effective move, quickly building a lead over the red jersey group and attracting team-mates to assist him.

On the final climb, the Collado del Alguacil, Kuss was driven forward by Wout van Aert. Young Norwegian prospect Jørgen Nordhagen played a crucial role, pulling Kuss all the way to the finish line, where he secured the eighth position on the stage, just 8:45 behind Mas. Reflecting on the day, Kuss expressed his gratitude to his team, stating, "Hats off to the team.

We had a plan, and it was just like the stars aligning in every moment of the race." He emphasized the importance of teamwork, saying, "Every single guy on the team had a part in it. That's how we race as a team. That's our identity. It was just amazing being part of it." Kuss admitted that he had goosebumps throughout the day, expressing his joy at racing and relishing the memorable experience.

The plan had been discussed for several days, with the team anticipating the chance to leverage Kuss' position effectively, especially given the unpredictable nature of the stage.