re: The Turn'23: Vuelta a España: First American In Over a Decade Wins!!!! Sepp Kuss!!!

Yeah I think today's actions show what they're going to do going forward, particularly stage 20.

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What an interesting scenario. I don't completely understand unwritten cycling rules, and I know Sepp has ridden for Jonas and Primoz his whole career, but as a casual observer it just seems weird that Jonas is basically going to "gift" it to him.

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Don't worry nobody does. This is my 42 year (Jesus I am old) of competing as a cyclist and I still wrestle with them in the peloton and on the couch watching. I would say they are more complicated than the unwritten rules of baseball.

Sepp deserves some palmares padding from Primoz and Jonas for the work he has put in for them even though that is Sepp's job. I personally have no issue with them and the director sportif making him work for it yesterday. Some people see it differently. I don't know if today was already planned ie the DS told Primoz and Jonas you can attack today but tomorrow (meaning today) we ride to maintain or if the DS was going to let them fight today and the backlash prompted a change of heart.


The question now is will Sepp become someone like Jean Stablinski (probably the greatest domestique of all time) or Greg Lemond who stepped out of the shadow of Hinault and became a true team leader himself. The latter is unlikely to happen at Jumbo especially given Jonas is younger than him.


I should say one of the important things to understand about the area of the unwritten rules of cycling is the strongest rider on a given day does not always win the race because they well may be a domestique for a team leader. All the greats have won races where their teammates and tactics were used to get them across the line on their off days.

As much as Sepp got stabbed in the back yesterday (if that is how you see it) it will make the maillot rojo feel so much better to be wearing on the podium in Madrid.






What the hell does Jubo do now? Primoz won the Giro. Jonas won the Tour. Sepp won the Vuelta. How do they approach the GTs next year? IIRC Primoz and Sepp are under contract for 2 more seasons and Jonas until '27. Superteams have imploded or exploded trying to manage 2 great GC riders, though Sepp seems too nice to be a problem.

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What the hell does Jubo do now? Primoz won the Giro. Jonas won the Tour. Sepp won the Vuelta. How do they approach the GTs next year? IIRC Primoz and Sepp are under contract for 2 more seasons and Jonas until '27. Superteams have imploded or exploded trying to manage 2 great GC riders, though Sepp seems too nice to be a problem.

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I don't think anything's changed with Sepp. He's still clearly a super domestique and only a GC lead if the other two aren't racing. Or I could see him given a shot at the Dauphine or Suisse. He wouldn't be in red now without getting almost 3 minutes on Primoz and Jonas in the break because he wasn't seen as a GC threat at the time.

Primoz seems like the real problem because he's about to turn 34 so time's running out to get another shot at the Tour.

Onions.

Kuss!

"The last American man to win one of cycling’s three-week races, which in addition to the Vuelta and Tour includes the Giro d’Italia, was 2013 Vuelta winner Chris Horner."

Congrats Sepp. This is so good for American cycling "gifted" or not..he earned it. 3 GTs in one season and absolutely is a main reason why Rog and JVG were able to win the other two.
Great day for American cycling.

Been a pleasure all, see you all in the Giro thread next year. Ride safe.

Very happy to see Sepp win this Vuelta. Spoke to fans in Spanish, class guy.

Remco was balls to the walls the whole time. Hats off to him. Think he got most aggressive, well deserved.

Ayuso in white, well deserved.

Another great series of grand tours. TJV almost ruined it at the end, but they came through. Cycling always delivers.