When Jumbo-Visma appeared to cave into public opinion and gave Sepp Kuss the green light to win La Vuelta in 2023, it was thought that the concession would prove useful to Jonas Vingegaard further down the line.
After all, just weeks earlier, the loyal American had helped guide his Danish team-mate to a second successive Tour de France victory over Tadej Pogacar with another selfless display in July – just as he had done earlier in May to help steer Primoz Roglic to Giro d’Italia glory.
Both Roglic and Vingegaard having already achieved their primary targets of the season, there would be plenty more opportunities for the Slovenian to win a fourth Vuelta and for the Dane to open his account later in their respective careers – something which could not be said for their domestique de luxe, Kuss.
And so, fans witnessed the bizarre scene of Vingegaard and Roglic riding the final week of the race with the handbrake on – unsure if they should attack or hold back.
Most memorably, they dropped their team-mate Kuss on the Angliru, but reined things in just enough near the misty summit so that their understudy could retain his slender grip on the red jersey.
Then, on the penultimate day, all three Jumbo team-mates crossed the line together over 10 minutes back in a final stalemate that secured Kuss a maiden Grand Tour triumph by 17 seconds over Vingegaard and 1’08″ over Roglic, completing an emphatic team 1-2-3.
Justice was done, a PR disaster averted, team harmony maintained, history made. And although the best rider had probably not won, Kuss’s victory sent all the right messages.
As a result, Kuss signed a new contract and the team would have an extra-motivated helper for their leaders going forward.
Two years on, though, and Vingegaard has yet to win another Grand Tour. Roglic won last year’s Vuelta – but for Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, having himself grown frustrated at playing second fiddle.
Visma-Lease a Bike did taste success in the Giro this year through new signing Simon Yates, but Kuss could not stop Vingegaard from being roundly defeated by Pogacar at the Tour for a second year in succession.
Alongside compatriot Matteo Jorgenson, Kuss now finds himself as a central component of the Visma team that will attempt to save Vingegaard’s season this September.
If the Dane gave up the opportunity to win a maiden Vuelta in 2023, he’s not going to make the same call twice.
With Pogacar deciding to forego the chance of a Tour-Vuelta double, Vingegaard is – on paper – the hot favourite to win the 80th edition of the Vuelta, which gets underway in Turin, Italy, on Saturday, August 23 – live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Vingegaard accepts defeat to Pogacar in yellow jersey battle – ‘That’s cycling’
Video credit: TNT Sports
Vingegaard lost July’s Tour by 4’24″ but it could well have been more. Pogacar, rather than press home his advantage, rode the final week conservatively, opting to follow his Danish rival’s wheel rather than add to the four stage wins he amassed earlier in the race.
As a result, Vingegaard failed to pick up a stage win on a Grand Tour for the first time since his debut Tour back in 2021.
In fact, save for his overall win in the Volta ao Algarve in February – achieved through winning the final-day time trial – Vingegaard has had a fruitless 2025, crashing out of Paris-Nice and being roundly beaten by the world champion in both the Dauphine and the Tour.
But a strong performance in the final Grand Tour of the season, and the 28-year-old will achieve something that has eluded his absent rival Pogacar so far in his illustrious career: stand on the top step of the podium in Madrid.
Pogacar, 26, has not ridden La Vuelta since winning three stages and finishing third place in his maiden Grand Tour in 2019 – a year before Vingegaard came 46th in Spain in his own Grand Tour debut.
Standing in Vingegaard’s way in Spain will be some familiar faces in the form of UAE Team Emirates-XRG duo Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida.
Between them, UAE and Visma have finished first and second in the preceding two Grand Tours this season, with Yates beating Isaac del Toro in the Giro before Pogacar’s win in Paris.
‘What a ride!’ – Tears flow as Simon Yates gets redemption on ‘day of destiny’ at Giro
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ayuso went to the Giro as UAE’s leader, and the Spaniard will hope to bounce back after crashing out in Italy.
Almeida, too, will hope for a strong comeback after a hefty fall in the opening week of the Tour saw the Portuguese leave the race early.
Other contenders for the red jersey include Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), Italy’s Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious), Colombia’s Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), Spain’s Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step), and Australian duo Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) and Ben O’Connor (Jayco-AlUla).
On his day, Vingegaard can beat all of the above, so it is no surprise that he is the bookmakers’ favourite.
Having arrived at the Tour slightly under-raced, Vingegaard was getting into his stride in the third week, and should be at the peak of his powers in Spain.
And with question marks over the race fitness of both Ayuso and Almeida, Vingegaard will also have a fully-committed Visma team behind him bent on getting their Danish superstar back to winning ways.
Victory in La Vuelta would then lead to some tricky questions: should Vingegaard use it as a springboard to topple Pogacar at next year’s Tour, or should he try to complete the Grand Tour treble at next year’s Giro?
Opting for the latter would put the Dane in a strong position to achieve something else before Pogacar – something few riders can say nowadays.
But it would also be an admission that, such is the Slovenian’s dominance, the Tour is currently unwinnable for Vingegaard while Pogacar is riding at his current levels.
First things first, Vingegaard must put the disappointments of last July – and of 2024 and 2025 in general – behind him. To do this, the support of Kuss could be invaluable.
Perhaps allowing the American that win two years ago wasn’t such a bad idea, after all.
Watch every stage of La Vuelta live on TNT Sports and discovery+.