Johan Bruyneel impressed by Roglič and Mas after first Vuelta test, but saves highest praise for Sepp Kuss: 'Incredible'

It looked like we were going to get our first real uphill test in the Vuelta a España on Monday, but severe weather threw a wrench in the works. A day later, on Stage 4, we finally got to see that test—in a short but grueling stage through Andorra. Tadej Pogacar won, but behind him, some big names also had a strong day. Lance Armstrong's former manager Johan Bruyneel was especially impressed by a few riders.

It actually seemed like a sure thing from the start that Pogačar would win the fourth stage of the Vuelta. The Slovenian broke away 50 kilometers from the finish, completing his longest solo breakaway in a Grand Tour. Behind him, Jarno Widar surprisingly finished second. “I think that was a nice surprise,” Bruyneel said on the THEMOVE podcast.

In the same group as Widar, Primoz Roglic finished seventh in the stage, putting the Slovenian in second place in the overall standings. “You can’t really say it’s a surprise, but Primoz Roglic… I expected him to be stronger later on. The fact that he single-handedly closed the gap to Gall and Onley—that was a really good move. It shows he’s in good shape.”

Bruyneel, therefore, sees great things ahead for the four-time Vuelta winner. “I think he’s riding conservatively and that he gained more confidence as the stage went on. He’s right where he should be under normal circumstances. Given that he had such a disrupted training period, it was a surprise to see him already in such good form.”

One spot ahead of Roglic, we find Enric Mas. “I think he’s going to have a good Vuelta. He looks really good. He’s also a true Vuelta rider, having finished second three times already. He’s always on another level here and looks full of confidence. I think we should also consider him a serious contender for the podium,” the former rider says approvingly.

But the rider who seems to have impressed Bruyneel the most is Sepp Kuss. The American finished fifth in the stage and is now fourth in the general classification—all after having already ridden both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. “There aren’t many riders who can do that. First of all, riding all three Grand Tours is insane. But to also be performing at that level…”

"He also won a stage in the Giro, and almost won one in the Tour," Bruyneel continues. “I think he’ll probably win a stage in the Vuelta, and I think he’ll also stay in the top five of the general classification. That’s incredible. It’s truly unprecedented to have that kind of recovery ability between Grand Tours.”

All right, Bruyneel wraps things up with a final podium prediction based on the first four stages. “Pogacar in first place—that’s for sure. Oscar Onley looked really good today; I had him ranked third before the Vuelta. So I think I’ll put Primoz there. He’s already won the general classification four times, so we have to include him,” he concludes.