Sepp Kuss Rides Agonizingly Close to Alpe d'Huez Glory

Sepp Kuss came agonizingly close to a blockbuster win on Alpe d’Huez, in contention for victory until the last two kilometers.

The last American to win a Tour de France stage, back in Andorra in 2021, nearly ended the five-year wait. He was part of a three-man move leading the race up up one of cycling’s most renowned mountains.

After clearing the seas of fans, it was fourth place on stage 19 for the Visma-Lease a Bike climber, 1:14 down. Race leader Tadej Pogačar caught him, blew past and delivered another dynamite acceleration for his fifth stage win of this year’s race.

“I knew he [Pogačar] would probably go from the bottom so with that you probably need six minutes lead or something,” Kuss told media including Velo afterwards.

Kuss in cagey, tactical fight for glory

Part of a 42-rider mega break which formed on the day’s opening two climbs, he escaped on the legendary HC ascent with Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and stage 18 winner Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)

With surging and slowing, it was a stop-start effort in front with a lot of attacking.

“It was just everyone on their own, nobody wanted to commit fully,” Kuss said. “It’s still a climb where you get quite a bit of drafting, so it was pretty tactical at the end.”

Several times, Carapaz or Martinez pushed the pace. The Coloradan clung on, riding his way back to them before putting in his own dig with three kilometers to go.

“I just tried to ride my own rhythm, I’m not as explosive as those other guys, but I’m happy with the ride … I tried to keep it steady, but it’s hard.”

Tough conditions to make a winning attack

Riding through tunnels of cheering fans – and even a few inflatable dinosaurs – made for incredible, spine-tingling images, but rendered a winning escape even more difficult.

“All the moments you think ‘now I want to go [attack them] with speed or go when they’re finished with their effort’, then you get another narrow part. So it’s hard to time it,” Kuss said.

The 2023 Vuelta winner had been looking forward to the stage and had four teammates in the 42-rider mega-break, including compatriot Matteo Jorgenson.

“The guys were really good, there were a lot of riders with teammates in there so it was like being in a peloton,” Kuss said.

“Special mention to Bruno Armirail who was riding like an animal, a French guy on the front of a breakaway. So thanks to him, we had a good selection at the bottom [of the climb], but when I saw the gap at the bottom, I knew it would be tight.”

Stage winner Pogačar was not as confident as he might have appeared, admitting in his post-race press conference he felt doubt when he caught them in the barriered section with four kilometers to go.

“Then the right corner Sepp attacked, I think,” he said. “And I was like ‘hey’ve gone again, I will not be able to catch them.’ But I think that was the last resort of Sepp, he swung off.”

Quinn stops during the race to watch Carapaz’s bid for victory

EF Education-EasyPost rider Sean Quinn was also up the road with him in the escape, working hard and getting bottles for Carapaz in pursuit of a second stage win.

“It was hard. We committed and did what we could,” Quinn said. “It’s a bummer to see how close it was, but that’s cycling. But awesome atmosphere on the climb.”

Playing domestique, he stopped to watch the last 800 meters of the race on a roadside TV because he was “coincidentally passing a big screen”.

“Ben [Healy] and Alex [Baudin] did an incredible job in the whole valley. He had a big gap, I was mostly used to get him bottles but that’s part of the job. I had to give everything to come back a few times in hard moments and did what I could.”

A mountain which makes US riders dream

The King of the Mountains jersey for Carapaz – one point ahead of Pogačar – was a form of consolation, even if EF Education-EasyPost and the Ecuadorian went so close to a second successive stage win.

Quinn’s childhood self would have been proud.

“It’s a day I’ll never forget,” the Californian said. “To be honest, I dreamed of racing up Alpe d’Huez as a kid.

“I don’t really have too many words. It’s probably the pinnacle of cycling, a day like today.”

With Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon-CMA CGM) also in the early move, all five of the U.S. starters in this year’s Tour were together in the day’s main breakaway.

Simmons sets up Pedersen for green jersey glory

U.S. champion Quinn Simmons was another American in the break, playing a key role in putting Mads Pedersen into a dominant position in the points classification.

“We needed to make the start hard enough that Mads will make it, but not too hard that he’s not there,” Simmons told TNT Sports and other media post-race.

“It was nice we had a group of four with him in the front. I’d say [it went] pretty perfect: he wins the [intermediate] sprint.” Pedersen now leads Jasper Philipsen by 57 points.

Sixteenth on the Alpe for do-it-all Simmons

That wasn’t all: Simmons rode strongly up Alpe d’Huez, finishing 16th and supporting lagging co-leader Juan Ayuso, who finished 6:26 behind Pogačar, falling to seventh overall behind Lidl-Trek teammate Mattias Skjelmose.

“Honestly, when I was doing the descent and saw five kilometers to the start [of the climb], I actually got kind of emotional,” Simmons said.

“Like ‘wow, I’m on the front of the Tour de France when the group turns onto Alpe d’Huez in the front group.’ That’s pretty special.

“Last time I was here was also insane but I was 40 minutes behind. Now I’m doing the most iconic climb in the world in the biggest bike race in the world and in front.

“For a rider like me, that doesn’t normally happen so I was quite enjoying it.”

National champ impressed by number of US fans

The man hailed as “Captain America” by a fair few roadside fans throughout this Tour also had a mini U.S. flag in his pocket.

He picked it up from one of the many supporters who had crossed the pond to cheer on the peloton on Alpe d’Huez.

“It’s insane the number of American fans we had on the side of the road,” he said. “The Tour is the only big cycling event for us and then Alpe d’Huez in the Alps on the final week, I think it’s a pretty big turnout.

“The number of flags I saw on the Alpe, it was really special to be the one lucky enough to wear the flag.”

Even if America has not won a stage since 2021, cycling fans still show up and cheer on the country’s best.