"It quickly became clear that we would be fighting for second place" - Sepp Kuss makes a strong bid for Vuelta podium

Without a dedicated leader for general classification but not lacking in ambition and grit; that's one way to characterize Visma | Lease a Bike's start to the 2026 Vuelta a España. In the race's first mountain test, Sepp Kuss rose to the top and crossed the finish line in fifth position on home roads in Andorra. "It quickly became clear that we would be fighting for second place," the Dutch team entered today's stage with a massive offensive, which saw four of its riders feature in the day's early breakaway. However, Decathlon-CMA CGM had other plans and kept any attempts on a short leash, setting up the decisive attack of Tadej Pogačar with 50 kilometers to go. Kuss recalls, "It quickly became clear that we would be fighting for second place, so the racing changed." He started the stage without many expectations, mainly wanting to observe how things would unfold. "My initial plan was to make it into the breakaway, but shortly afterward, I decided to go for a good result instead." Kuss finished in fourth overall, 12 seconds behind Enric Mas, who was just off the podium. "This performance gives me confidence for the rest of this Vuelta," he concluded. Visma's main goal for the Spanish Grand Tour remains to succeed daily, with sprinters like Matthew Brennan, Wout Van Aert, and Christophe Laporte, as well as breakaway specialists Jorgen Nordhagen and Ben Tulett, contributing to the team's strategy. Kuss' pursuit of the general classification might limit their options in breakaways.