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Follow us on GoogleWhen you say Visma | Lease a Bike, you’re now almost automatically thinking of Sepp Kuss. The 32-year-old American has long been inextricably linked to the Dutch team and is slowly but surely becoming a true figurehead. Visma caught up with him in Andorra, after which the American returned to his home country, along with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
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Read more below the photo!
American Sepp Kuss has become a team leader at Visma
American Kuss struggled to adapt to European life
In 2018, Kuss made the move from the continental Rally Cycling team to LottoNL-Jumbo. Not only was the move from the continental level to the WorldTour a big one, but so was the move from the United States to Europe.
“When Sepp joined the team, he was a bit more ‘American’ than he is now,” says former teammate Robert Gesink in a YouTube video by Visma | Lease a Bike.
“It definitely took me a while to get used to everything in Europe,” Kuss grins.
The two live close to each other in Andorra and are good friends. Kuss has been living there for a while now, along with his wife Noemí Ferré and their daughter Martina.
Visma | Lease a Bike stopped by to visit the climber and get a glimpse into his daily life. It mainly consists of spending time with his family, cycling, and catching up with his friends.
Gesink laughs at Kuss's tireless energy
Kuss is known for his outstanding work as a lead-out man for his various team leaders over the years, but of course he also won the Vuelta a España himself.
He is also known for his tireless work ethic. For example, over the course of nine seasons, he has ridden eighteen Grand Tours, including—on two occasions— as many as three in a single year. And he has done so with great success.
"I once did two in a year, and to be honest, I found that difficult," Gesink laughs at that statistic. "And I wanted to say that it was different for me, because I was riding for the general classification. But you won your first Grand Tour when you did three Grand Tours in a year for the first time."
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Kuss has been a crucial to Visma's Grand Tour successes
In 2023, he was invaluable to Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard when they won the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. After that, he went on to win the Vuelta himself.
And this year, too, he has once again completed the trilogy—and once again with fantastic results.
He helped Jonas Vingegaard secure the victory in Italy, while he himself won the queen stage in the Dolomites, thus managing to win stages in all three Grand Tours.
After a difficult Tour de France (which included a crash by team leader Vingegaard and two crashes of his own in the final stage), he headed to the Vuelta. There, he finished a respectable fifth.
Sepp Kuss finished an impressive fifth in the Vuelta a España.
Kuss has a 'simple' secret to success
How on earth is that possible?
“One of Sepp’s greatest strengths is that he’s found a really good balance. He does everything right: he weighs his food, trains properly, but never overdoes it. If you find that balance and it works for you, then you can grow, even as a young rider. That way, you can build a long, successful career by making it sustainable in your own way.”- Robert Gesink on Sepp Kuss
Kuss does this by alternating between races and life at home. “When you start the year, you know you’ll be away from home a lot. But between races, I’ve often managed to be home—even between all three Grand Tours. That makes a huge difference," he said.
"It’s actually better than a normal season. You have specific training blocks and goals, and in between, it’s a simple routine— easy living.”
Read more below the video!
Kuss and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in the USA
At the moment, however, Kuss isn’t racing, nor is he at home. Well, not at home—not in Andorra, at least. He headed off to his home country, the United States.
He spent the last few days there with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Among other things, they visited the Cervélo headquarters, where they also went for a ride with fans in Los Angeles.
They also attended the premiere of the mini-documentary about Kuss, but the pair still had time for some fun. Like a “sur place” race won by Ferrand-Prévot, as well as an ice hockey game in Anaheim.
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
- A fascinating career, but the article leans heavily on his side of the story. Were the three disqualifications all for the same equipment rule, or were there different issues each time?michael5412-11-2026
- I’m still not sure how the handlebar rules work. If another rider can rest their wrists on the bars, why was Van Schip disqualified for his position?jennifer1912-11-2026
- The UCI really needs clearer, consistently enforced rules on bike setups and riding positions. If Van Schip was being told different things from race to race, no wonder he got fed up.patriciaw12-11-2026
- Two world track titles and three pro wins is a serious career, whatever the controversies. Shame he felt the sport stopped listening to him. Hope Rotterdam gives him the send-off he deserves.tourdeforce912-11-2026
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026