Teams & Riders Sepp Kuss is the next Sepp Kuss thread

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SHAD0W93

SHAD0W93

Aug 13, 2011
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Gratemans said:
As one of the guys 'braying' (or whatever tf that means): Yes.
Yes I do think that.

I really like the guy, but after today, it's only die-hard fans or chauvinists who'll believe he won this Vuelta on his own merit. This is a victory with a big asterisk to it in my book.
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But either fortunately or unfortunately not in the record books. It will be seen as the crowning moment of Kuss’s career to this point and of Jumbo as a team dominating the GTs this year.
 
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VayaVayaVaya

Jun 1, 2015
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No. He lost a bit of time on the ITT and would have not had teammates to help. Competitors would have behaved differently. But tough to say. His instinct to apologize for being good does not seem like a good omen for an unaided victory.
 
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Hugh Januss

Hugh Januss

Jul 9, 2009
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Nick2413 said:
If Roglic and Jonas were not in the race would Sepp have won? Even without the breakaway?
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If you subtract the breakaway he is about 1:10 up on Ayuso and he didn't have to do all that riding that day. He was (is) the third best climber in the Vuelta. Replace Roglic and Vingegaard with two more strong climbing doms. and he definitely has a good chance. The question I guess is would Mas and Ayuso be stronger if it wasn't for the pummeling that Roglic and Vingo gave them?
 
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RobertCrawley

RobertCrawley

Jul 3, 2022
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The Cycling Podcast played a Kuss interview before the stage 18 where Kuss basically said that it was time that he "stuck up for himself." The podcasters both believed that someone had spoken to Kuss to get him to be more assertive. I tend to agree, and (if I had any) I would bet money that person was one Bob "Bobke" Roll.

They also played a short interview with Rog, who clearly was not happy with the arrangement.
 
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Extinction

Extinction

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Jan 8, 2020
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Gratemans said:
As one of the guys 'braying' (or whatever tf that means): Yes.
Yes I do think that.

I really like the guy, but after today, it's only die-hard fans or chauvinists who'll believe he won this Vuelta on his own merit. This is a victory with a big asterisk to it in my book.
Click to expand...
It was meant to be "bragging" I think. In any case, a GT has been decided at the table, which is their right I suppose, but it doesn't make it any less scandalous. It would have been one thing had Kuss thundered into the lead on his own merit, by attacking from the leaders' group and dropping them all, but he's not capable of that. It's thus entirely another to have gotten the red jersey because you were sent up the rode in a strategic bid to unsettle Evenepoel, which worked, an impact on the race that was magnified by the ineptitude of Soudal, who never, ever should have allowed him in a break of 40 strong. The guy was given a free ride into the lead and consequently anybody that thinks Kuss will have won this with his own legs is delusional. Just ask Roglic. Chapeau, but the American is lucky he's not racing with Hinault in the team, who would have attacked him ruthlessly until reclaiming the leadership. By contrast, such "fair play" is merely a euphemism for the perverse parody of sport we have witnessed, a falsification of competition and ultimately this Vuelta. Congrats Jumbo-Visma.
 
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burning

burning

Feb 29, 2012
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I did not follow the racing that closely in last few days or so, but Kuss probably played his cards perfectly as he is dealing with two stronger riders that could have won the at point. I think Vingegaard could have dropped him much earlier if he did try to be more assertive instead of playing the nice guy that happened to he a GC leader role.

Jumbo probably gave under-the-table deals to Roglic and Vingegaard for letting him win for obvious Murican financial reasons, and what they have done this year is a great story for marketing purposes. I would blame other teams for riding the most negative race ever and folding to Jumbo and Remco for GC and stages without even trying.

I also throughly enjoy LS' rants about Kuss and obligatory mentions to Portugese scene, we just happened to have a W52 or LA-MSS festival in an actual GT.
 
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Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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Nick2413 said:
If Roglic and Jonas were not in the race would Sepp have won? Even without the breakaway?
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Hmm, maybe. He took a fair chunk of time on Angliru by simply being strong af. So I'd say yes.
VayaVayaVaya said:
No. He lost a bit of time on the ITT and would have not had teammates to help. Competitors would have behaved differently. But tough to say. His instinct to apologize for being good does not seem like a good omen for an unaided victory.
Click to expand...
Without the breakaway he would have come from behind. He only lost 18" to Ayuso in the ITT, and he gained 17" on Mas. When and how would those two do to Kuss what he did to them on Angliru?
 
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T

Tim Cahill

May 6, 2021
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joe_papp said:
Sorry to get slightly off topic here, but is there a thread that discusses great moments in backstabbing (or at least flicking)-your-teammate cycling history? Would love to read that.
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Surely there is somewhere I'll have a look, Valverde not following trade teammate Costa's attack at the 2013 WCRR was also a classic, went down particularly poorly in some quarters.
 
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B

Bolder

Jun 25, 2015
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Krzysztof_O said:
Agreed. Kuss is the 3rd strongest guy in the race and since his breakaway his advantage over non-JV guys only grew.
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I've commented before that this is pretty impressive on its own. Sure, he's benefiting from having the 2 strongest GC riders on his team, but are Ayuso, Mas, Almeida, Remco really that weak that they can't keep up with a forum meme rider like Kuss?

We've known for years that he's among the best pure climbers and we've caught glimpses of what an unchained Kuss can do on a mountain stage. What's always been missing is the start-to-finish consistency, but then again he's rarely been asked to actually race for his own positions. After this Vuelta, will he be given that responsibility for an entire GT? What would happen? He hasn't had to attack other teams' riders on his own to save his position or gain places, nor has he had to call on helpers to save his bacon. Those are the hard parts of being a protected GC rider with the teams' (and sponsors) hopes and dreams on your shoulders....
 
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J

jmdirt

Dec 6, 2013
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Extinction said:
It was meant to be "bragging" I think. In any case, a GT has been decided at the table, which is their right I suppose, but it doesn't make it any less scandalous. It would have been one thing had Kuss thundered into the lead on his own merit, by attacking from the leaders' group and dropping them all, but he's not capable of that. It's thus entirely another to have gotten the red jersey because you were sent up the rode in a strategic bid to unsettle Evenepoel, which worked, an impact on the race that was magnified by the ineptitude of Soudal, who never, ever should have allowed him in a break of 40 strong. The guy was given a free ride into the lead and consequently anybody that thinks Kuss will have won this with his own legs is delusional. Just ask Roglic. Chapeau, but the American is lucky he's not racing with Hinault in the team, who would have attacked him ruthlessly until reclaiming the leadership. By contrast, such "fair play" is merely a euphemism for the perverse parody of sport we have witnessed, a falsification of competition and ultimately this Vuelta. Congrats Jumbo-Visma.
Click to expand...
Don't blame the winning team, blame the other teams who didn't get their sht together in the GT this year.
 
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Samu Cuenca

Samu Cuenca

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jmdirt said:
Without team mates, with out a breakaway, without a bike, without... o_O
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I'm not sure he would/could have won without Vingegaard, cause had it not been for the mechanical in the ITT, he might not have been allowed to join the break on the Javalambre stage ;)
 
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Rob5091

Rob5091

Apr 8, 2023
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RobertCrawley said:
The Cycling Podcast played a Kuss interview before the stage 18 where Kuss basically said that it was time that he "stuck up for himself." The podcasters both believed that someone had spoken to Kuss to get him to be more assertive. I tend to agree, and (if I had any) I would bet money that person was one Bob "Bobke" Roll.

They also played a short interview with Rog, who clearly was not happy with the arrangement.
Click to expand...
I hope it was a certain Texan and Kuss goes full on blank-hole! No more Mr Nice Guy!
 
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