American Kuss holds onto the leader jersey after Stage 18, keeps Grand Tour dream alive

The 18th stage of the 2023 Vuelta a España ended at the high mountain of Puerto de la Cruz de Linares, where American Sepp Kuss kept his dream of winning the Grand Tour alive.

In Stage 18, Remco Evenepoel took first place with a lead of 4 minutes and 44 seconds over second-place finisher Damiano Caruso. He showed his appreciation by making a heart gesture upon crossing the finish line. In an interview with Cyclingnews, he revealed that the heart sign was for his wife and he dedicated his triumph to her.

Sepp Kuss had no trouble keeping pace with Jumbo-Visma teammates Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič as they climbed the Asturias mountain. The American cyclist appeared confident and composed as the crowd cheered him on.

Cycling: American Sepp Kuss keeps leader jersey with a third-place finish in Stage 17 of Vuelta a España

Jumbo-Visma Teammates support Kuss

There has been much debate over whether Kuss' Jumbo-Visma teammates were riding for him in Stage 17 or taking advantage of a moment of weakness to ride for themselves with an ‘every man for themselves’ mentality.

It appears that the Jumbo-Visma riders have addressed the rumors of drama within the team, as Vingegaard has eased off the pedals to show respect for Kuss' race lead. This gesture of support from Vingegaard has further solidified Kuss' chances of winning the race as they approach the final stages of the Vuelta a Espana.

Kuss remains in the red jersey and increased his lead to 17 seconds over Vingegaard in Stage 18, but still maintained a one-minute, eight-second lead over Roglič.

The team displayed unity and proved that success is a team effort, not an individual's race.

In response to a question about his chances of winning the Vuelta a España, Sepp responded to cyclingnews, stating that the finish line was in sight. Although the toughest mountain stages had been completed, Sepp acknowledged that Stage 20 would be a grueling challenge, and he remained determined to stay focused on the task at hand.