After a decade, an American emerged victorious in a Grand Tour, with Sepp Kuss winning the Red Jersey in the 2023 Vuelta a España. Now, the 29-year-old cyclist hopes to inspire more compatriots and help grow the sport in the United States.
“Of course, it’s not the Tour de France, but it’s a big step forward. More and more people are realizing what it means for the United States,” the American said in a post-Vuelta a España interview with the Dutch website In de Leidestrui.
“I hope to have inspired many people as well. In any case, things are going well for American cycling, as guys like Matteo Jorgenson, Neilson Powless, and Brandon McNulty are also showing great things.”
Unfortunately, in the United States, cycling is still viewed as a sport tainted by controversies from the past. “Many people in my country still remember the era of Lance Armstrong. It would be good if that image changed a bit,” Kuss says.
“However, I still find it difficult to say whether America really needs a new general classification cyclist because I’m not sure how our love for cycling will develop.”
Kuss doesn’t seem to have an interest in the most well-known cycling race, the Tour de France. “That’s really something different from the Vuelta. Besides, the Vuelta is a competition that just suits me better. Things are much more nervous in the Tour. The transition stages in France are also much tougher. The climbs don’t appeal to me as much because they’re usually less steep,” concludes the champion of the 2023 Vuelta a España.