Emotional Sepp Kuss had stopped believing but found extra motivation in the finale of Giro queen stage
CyclingFriday, 29 May 2026 at 19:36
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Follow us on GoogleThe first four uphill finishes in this Giro d’Italia had already gone to Visma | Lease a Bike, and so did the fifth thanks to and American. After Jonas Vingegaard’s quartet, it was Sepp Kuss in the Dolomites, the super-domestique who completed his Grand Tour trilogy of stage wins. The Colorado native was immensely grateful in his flash interview.
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“To be honest, this was never the main goal,” Kuss began. “Our big challenge was winning the pink jersey with Jonas. So far, that looks good,” he said with classic understatement. “When they told me last night that I had the chance to go in the break, I knew I had to take it.”
And so the trilogy is complete. “This is something I have always dreamed of, but it gets harder every year. I keep getting better, but so do all the other riders. After every season I think again: it is going to be harder to win a Giro stage and complete the trilogy. I cannot believe it has happened now.”
“I think it was the last missing piece of the puzzle,” he said. “In a way, it also brought pressure. I knew how much I wanted it, but also how hard it was to complete. Sometimes the more you want something, the harder it becomes. That can make you make mistakes, but today that did not happen. These are the days I live for: the queen stages, the hardest stages of the race.”
Read on below the video!
Kuss stopped believing for a while
Kuss spent the whole day in the breakaway, but he did have to deal with an attacking Giulio Ciccone. “I was not sure whether I would be able to catch him. I knew he would go for the mountain points on the penultimate climb. It looked as if he would sit up again at the top, but then he looked back and saw a gap. When he had a minute, I thought it was over.”
“I was a bit demotivated,” Kuss admitted afterwards honestly. “But I just focused on climbing as fast as I could. It was a steep climb, which was perfect for me. The last kilometre was painful, because I knew I had to keep going all the way to the line,” said Kuss, who had extra motivation to go all in.
“I knew my mother would be standing 500 metres from the finish,” the American said. “A big shout-out to her and my whole family, because I only see them a few weeks a year. It is hard to stay in touch with everyone who is far away.”
That made it even more special in Italy. “It was very nice to have her there. I always think about my family and friends, whom I do not get to see that often. This is for them,” Kuss concluded with tears in his eyes and a slightly trembling voice.
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Enric saying “limit the damage” feels right, but he can’t keep giving Pog 5–10 seconds every summit. Minor gripe: the article glosses over Gall’s watts—would’ve loved some data. Grande etapa, pero faltan números, no?lindae28-08-2026
- - Red Bull-BORA with Roglič a minute back—does that gap matter this early or is it normal to let Pogačar have a cushion before the high mountains/time trial? Also, is Stage 9 a proper queen stage or just media hype?cadencekingm28-08-2026
- - Quick question: why did Decathlon take it up if it helped Pog in the end? Wouldn’t it have been better to sit on UAE’s tempo and wait? I’m still figuring out how these team tactics work on summit finishes.julien28-08-2026
- - Not sure I buy Mas’ “frustrated” angle. Pogacar just rode the numbers when Gall opened the gap, then closed and added six seconds for free. If that’s irritation, I hope my GC leader gets angry like that every day.samanthak28-08-2026
- - Gall looked sharp today. That Decathlon CMA CGM pull on the last climb actually made sense tactically—force UAE to respond, then Felix goes. Pog’s counter was vintage: measure, then sting. Stage 9 is going to be carnage if he’s already this comfy.patriciaw28-08-2026
- - Slightly sceptical about the piece framing it as frustration. The quotes from Pogacar read like he was in control. Maybe we’re overreading the body language?tourdeforce928-08-2026
- - “We’re here to win the GC, not to mess around.” That line says it all. He saved UAE’s matches and still gained time. Efficient as ever.andrewf28-08-2026
- - Can someone explain why Decathlon was pacing for Gall if he couldn’t follow when Pog pushed on? Is that a normal tactic or did it backfire?gearguru3328-08-2026
- - Mas stirring the pot a bit there. Don’t think Pog was “angry,” more like opportunistic when the gap opened. That steady-pace surge is his trademark. GC contenders behind must be fuming.patriciaw28-08-2026
- - Loved how Pogacar downplayed the drama. Classic Tadej: calm, clinical, and straight to the point. If Decathlon want to light it up for Gall, he’ll just ride them off his wheel anyway.lindae28-08-2026
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