Home away from home: Sepp Kuss pleased with third in Andorra: 'That gave me extra motivation'

It’s not often that a cycling race is held in its entirety in Andorra, so for local rider Sepp Kuss, who lives in the small country, Sunday’s Andorra Morabanc Clàssica was especially meaningful. The Visma climber finished third, but he was perfectly satisfied with that result afterward.

With Ben Tulett and Jørgen Nordhagen joining Kuss at the start, Visma | Lease a Bike had a strong lineup. In Andorra, the road—as was to be expected—immediately began to climb, and it ultimately turned into a grueling day of racing.

It was, therefore, the best climbers who would ultimately decide who would take the victory in only the second edition of the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica. With Tulett also in the mix, Visma | Lease a Bike looked like a strong contender, but in the end, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) proved too strong.

And yet it was Kuss who made the move in the final stretch. Pinarello-Q36.5 teammate Chris Harper brought the American back into the race, proving to be a crucial link for winner Pidcock. Carlos Verona secured second place for Lidl-Trek, leaving third place for home rider Kuss.

The American wasn't disappointed by that. On the contrary: "I'm satisfied with this performance," he said afterward on the team's website. "It was a tough race, so it feels good to finish on the podium. We rode strongly as a team, but in the end, Tom proved to be the strongest in the final stretch.”

Kuss lives in Andorra and therefore enjoyed the Andorran 1.1 race even more. “I thought it was great to be able to race here. I live and train in Andorra, so it was special to ride this race. My family was cheering me on from the sidelines, and that gave me extra motivation,” the American climber concluded.