Sepp Kuss hasn't ruled out riding all three Grand Tours in 2026 - 'We'll see'

Sepp Kuss is set to embark on his ninth season at Visma | Lease a Bike in 2026, a year in which the American has not ruled out competing in all three Grand Tours.

“I'll start the season in Oman. Then I'll go to Catalonia, the Giro, and the Tour. We'll see about La Vuelta,” said Kuss in an interview with Marca.

The prospect of riding all three Grand Tours is familiar territory for Kuss, who completed the trio in 2023, culminating with the biggest victory of his career at the Vuelta a España. 

This maiden Grand Tour win followed 12th and 14th place finishes at the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, respectively, highlighting the American’s durability and his value to the Dutch team’s three-week campaigns.

Although the Spanish Grand Tour is not yet confirmed on Kuss’s schedule, both the Giro and Tour are, with the American set to support Jonas Vingegaard in the general classification. Vingegaard will make his Giro debut, aiming to become the eighth rider in history to win all three Grand Tours. Though Kuss will play a key role in Visma and Vingegaard's quest for glory, the American also harbours ambitions of his own in Italy.

“First, I'll go to the Giro with Jonas and enjoy being there,” said Kuss. “As a personal goal, I'd like to win a stage in the Giro, as it's the only victory missing from my palmarès. Let's see if it can happen this year," added Kuss, who has won stages at both the Tour and Vuelta previously.

Kuss also expressed confidence in Vingegaard’s suitability for the Italian Grand Tour, noting the mental pressure this takes off his Danish teammates' shoulders heading into the Tour. Former two-time champion Vincenzo Nibali has also voiced a similar view.

“I think Jonas is a rider for the Giro. There are many stages for endurance cyclists: length, elevation gain…” said Kuss. “It's a course that suits him very well, although this year it's a bit less demanding. Mentally, riding the Giro will be very good for him, allowing him to arrive at the Tour without the pressure he's had in recent years.

Regardless of how mentally and physically fresh he arrives at the Tour, Vingegaard will have to face the formidable Tadej Pogačar. The Danish rider finished second in both of the past two editions, after beating the Slovenian in 2022 and 2023.

Kuss acknowledged the challenging task of beating the world champion, but insisted that it’s possible to do so, and the mentality of those within Visma mirrors this. 

“It gets more complicated every year, but it's about being very creative with tactics and looking for weaknesses,” said Kuss. "Every rider has a point or moment of weakness, and it's about finding those situations. On a summit finish, if he arrives at the bottom in good form, sometimes it seems impossible to beat him. We have to go into every race believing we can beat him."