Sepp Kuss Went Down in Pogačar's Crash — But He's Not Done With This Vuelta a España Yet

Sepp Kuss pedaled into Monday’s rest day sore, banged up, but still with some trademark optimism for remainder of the Vuelta a España.

At least he’s still in it.

Two days ago, the “Eagle from Durango” was involved in Tadej Pogačar’s high-speed crash that also took down Kuss and Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Ben Tulett on the road to Xeraco.

On Sunday, the American paid the price on the 22km relentless climb up the Alto de Aitana.

The 2023 Vuelta winner lost 1:44 to stage winner and race leader Enric Mas, and slipped down three spots on GC after finishing 11th on a brutal 188-kilometer stage that packed in more than 5,000 meters of climbing.

Kuss — thankful to escape serious injury in the high-speed crash that forced Pogačar out of the Vuelta — looked at the bright side.

“I felt pretty decent actually, for how high speed the crash was,” Kuss said Sunday at the line. “Not ideal, but I just kept positive.”

A day after any crash is always the worst.

That was compounded for Kuss, who was among the riders taken down Saturday when Pogačar slammed hard to the tarmac while taking a drink, apparently after hitting some debris in the road.

The Slovenian crashed hard at 60kph and brought Visma teammates Tulett and Kuss with him as well.

“It’s not ideal to crash,” Kuss said of Saturday’s drama. “It’s nobody’s fault — wrong place, wrong time. There was something there on the road that Pogačar couldn’t avoid and it happened really fast for everybody.”

Perhaps feeling the impact of the devastating crash, Kuss lost the wheel in the closing kilometers Sunday.

On Monday, the Vuelta peloton took the day off. Pogačar is recovering in a Barcelona hospital, while everyone else in Spain is wondering what happens next.

Kuss not giving up yet

Pogačar’s exit reshapes everything in this Vuelta, for Kuss and everyone else.

The irony is that with no Plan B at UAE and Kuss still working through crash damage at Visma, the two teams that have owned grand tour racing since 2020 are, for now, out of the frame.

Kuss, at least, is hoping to rediscover the climbing legs that saw him finish with the lead chasers in Andorra on stage 4.

“It feels like the old days when everyone is riding steady,” Kuss said Sunday. “For sure it’s an open race. I’m happy with my feelings considering the hard crash the day before.”

That is exactly why Monday’s rest day matters more for Kuss.

The 31-year-old Coloradan is riding his third straight grand tour of the season — a repeat of 2023, the year he won this race — and now sits 7th overall at 4:09 back.

Too far for outright victory, maybe. But a top-5 or perhaps an outside run at the final podium is still in the cards in this sans-Pogi Vuelta.

“There are still a lot of hard days to go and there’s still a big TT coming,” Kuss said about the final half of the Vuelta. “The key is to be there every day. There’s still a long way to go. I’m hanging in there, but there are guys like Gall and Mas who are riding strong.”

The week ahead gives him room to breathe at least. Tuesday and Wednesday are transition stages built for sprinters and breakaway chancers.

The next big reckoning comes Thursday, when the Vuelta hits the next major summit finish at Calar Alto high in the thin air of the Sierra Nevada.

The more miles Kuss can put between Saturday’s crash, the better. Thursday is the next big GC test.