Sepp Kuss
Born on 13 September 1994 in Durango, Colorado, Sepp Kuss is an American professional cyclist for Team Visma | Lease a Bike and one of the finest climbers of his generation. In 2023 he won the Vuelta a España, becoming the first American to win a Grand Tour in a decade and capping it off in one of the sport's most memorable team stories. Renowned as the ultimate mountain domestique, Kuss has played a decisive role in Grand Tour victories for his teammates while also collecting stage wins of his own. Find Sepp Kuss's latest results, stats and race calendar on this page.
Biography of pro cyclist Sepp Kuss
Sepp Kuss is celebrated as both a Grand Tour champion and the most valued mountain helper in the peloton. His relaxed manner off the bike masks a rider of exceptional climbing ability, capable of setting a brutal pace deep into the high mountains.
For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Kuss has been a central figure in an era of Grand Tour dominance, supporting riders such as Jonas Vingegaard while occasionally taking his own moment in the spotlight, most famously at the 2023 Vuelta a España.
Early life and rise from mountain biking
Kuss grew up in Durango, Colorado, a town with a rich mountain biking culture, and it was off-road racing that first shaped him. His background on technical, climbing-heavy terrain helped build the engine that would later make him one of the best pure climbers in road cycling.
He made the transition to the road and joined the American development scene before stepping up to the WorldTour, where his climbing talent quickly stood out. By his early professional seasons he had become an indispensable mountain lieutenant.
The 2023 Vuelta a España victory
Kuss's defining moment came at the 2023 Vuelta a España. Having spent years working for teammates, he found himself in the leader's red jersey, and the team rallied around him to defend the lead all the way to Madrid. He completed the race on the top step of an all-Jumbo-Visma podium, becoming the first American to win a Grand Tour in a decade. It was a victory celebrated across the sport, both for its sporting significance and for the way the team honoured one of its most loyal riders.
Earlier in his career, Kuss had also soloed to a Tour de France stage win in Andorra la Vella in 2021, his adopted European home, underlining that he could win at the highest level in his own right.
Major results as climber and domestique
Beyond his Vuelta title, Kuss's record is defined by his contribution to his teammates' Grand Tour successes. He has been a key climbing support rider in multiple Tour de France and Vuelta a España campaigns, repeatedly among the last men standing on the toughest mountain stages. In 2025 he again showed his value across the season, finishing seventh overall at the Vuelta a España while supporting the team's leaders.
Rider profile: strengths and style
Kuss is a pure climber whose greatest strength is his ability to maintain a punishing, steady pace on long, high-altitude ascents. That makes him the ideal mountain domestique, capable of stripping rivals away from a leader before the decisive moves. He is not a sprinter or a time trial specialist, but on the steepest slopes he is among the best in the world. He is also widely admired for his selflessness and his easy-going, well-liked personality within the peloton.
Personal life
Kuss has long been based in Andorra, the small Pyrenean principality popular with professional cyclists for its altitude and climbing roads, which he has described as his adopted home. He is known throughout the peloton for his modesty and good humour, qualities that made his 2023 Vuelta triumph one of the sport's most popular results in years.
Records and milestones
- Overall winner of the Vuelta a España (2023), first American Grand Tour winner in a decade
- Stage winner at the Tour de France (Andorra la Vella, 2021)
- Seventh overall at the Vuelta a España (2025)
- Key climbing domestique in multiple Grand Tour victories for Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- Background as a mountain biker in Durango, Colorado
What's next for Sepp Kuss?
Kuss remains a cornerstone of Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Grand Tour ambitions, balancing his role as a trusted mountain domestique with the chance to chase results of his own. Whether protecting a team leader or hunting stages and overall placings at the Vuelta a España, his climbing remains a major asset. As one of the most respected riders in the bunch, Kuss continues to shape the outcome of cycling's biggest races.
