MADRID — A decade later, the United States has a Grand Tour winner again.
Sepp Kuss won the Vuelta a España on Sunday to become the first American to win one of cycling’s top races since Chris Horner was the Vuelta champion in 2013. The other Grand Tour events are the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
Kuss had effectively secured the victory ahead of Sunday’s largely ceremonial stage, when rivals in the Spanish capital respected his lead and did not launch any attacks, per cycling tradition.
“It’s incredible. I think today was the stage that I suffered the most of the whole race; now I’m just glad it’s over,” Kuss said. “It’s life-changing for sure. I think I’ll look back on this experience with a lot of fun memories. It’s still sinking in. I think it’s going to take quite some time. Now a big celebration. Family, friends are here, and that’s going to be really special.”
It was a surprising victory for Kuss, who entered the race in a supporting role to Jumbo-Visma teammates Jonas Vingegaard, who is the two-time reigning Tour de France champion, and Primoz Roglic, a three-time Vuelta winner.