Two years after the Angliru made him a Vuelta winner, Kuss is back to ride for Vingegaard: ‘There’s nowhere to hide.’
Kuss in 2023 secured his Vuelta title on the Angliru. (Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty ImagesAlexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Updated September 4, 2025 11:29AM
COMILLAS, Spain (Velo) — Sepp Kuss returns to the vertical battleground of the Alto de l’Angliru two years after he cemented one of the most improbable Vuelta a España victories in decades.
In 2023, Kuss was the domestique who became a champion, becoming the first American male in 10 years to win a grand tour.
It didn’t come easy after a bitter inter-squad battle with Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard that came all down to the Angliru. His teammates attacked, but Kuss held on.
On Friday, he returns for the first time to the monster mountain that crowned him Vuelta champion.
“I would love to win on Angliru,” Kuss told Velo at the line Thursday. “I’ve done it a few times and I’ve had good feelings there, so we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
Friday’s assault will see Kuss return to his familiar role as superdomestique. With Vingegaard holding onto red, the initial focus will be on keeping the Dane in the lead.
“You never know what to expect. This Vuelta has been pretty close so far,” Kuss said. “There are some guys who are surprising and riding well. You never know. We have a lot of confidence in Jonas and it’s a climb that suits him perfectly.”
The drama of 2023 seems like a long time ago.
Return to the beast: ‘It was a special day for us’
Kuss defended red and he carried the jersey to Madrid after the Angliru in 2023. (Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Two years ago, Kuss, Vingegaard, and Roglič were in a three-way shootout for victory.
This time, Roglič is gone, and Vingegaard is the unquestioned leader at Visma-Lease a Bike.
The team rallied around the Dane since the start, who said he took important lessons from the last time he climbed the mighty Angliru in 2023.
“It was a special day for us, we went one, two, three on the day,” Vingegaard said when asked by Velo. “The whole Vuelta was special because we went one, two, three in Madrid.
“For sure, I have a lot of good memories from the Angliru, also it was the first time doing it when I was pulling for Roglič, so I hope to make some more good memories there tomorrow.”
This time, instead of racing against each other, Visma will be keeping a close eye on João Almeida, Tom Pidcock, and a host of other GC rivals.
“It’s one of the most important days for the GC,” Vingegaard said. “It’s an iconic climb. There’s nowhere you can hide, so you really have to give absolutely everything you can.”
The Dane, who already has two stage wins in his pocket, admitted the race is unfolding ahead of schedule.
“Our plan was to ride defensively the first 10 days, so to already have two stage wins is a nice feeling,” Vingegaard said. “To be honest, so far the finishing climbs have been easier, but from now on they will be way harder.”
‘Ride as hard as you can’
Roglić, Vingegaard, and Kuss attack the Angliru, and each other, in 2023. (Photo: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
The Vuelta changes gears this weekend, with the Farrapona on Saturday. More treacherous terrain waits in week 3, with Morredero and Bola del Mundo still on the horizon.
Up first is the fearsome Angliru, one of the steepest and gnarliest climbs in cycling.
Kuss has raced it twice and knows what’s in store.
“It will be hard,” Kuss said. “It’s a longer stage than it normally is. That will add a different element to it. Other than that it’s typical Asturias mountain roads. It’s going to be very hard.
“It’s an important climb, we’ll see what we can do. We’re feeling good and riding well, and if there’s an opportunity, we’ll go for it. It’s one of the key stages.”
How to tackle a climb so hard? Kuss said it’s actually quite simple because there are no tactics at all.
“It’s about pacing it,” Kuss said. “The hardest part, the Cabras, it’s super steep. It’s such a steep climb there, you cannot surprise anybody there. You just have to ride as hard as you can. It’s pretty simple in that sense.”
The Angliru is the mountain that crowned Kuss in 2023. With third and sixth in previous attempts, maybe this time he can take the mountain.