Sepp Kuss is an athlete accustomed to working, but also to managing leadership roles, and from today we'll see him competing on the roads of Oman. The American rider from Visma Lease a Bike has been living in Spain for years and it was there in 2023 that he achieved the most beautiful victory of his career: the Vuelta's red jersey. Kuss handles his roles perfectly and easily switches from managing the pressure of being the team leader to the position of special lieutenant for Jonas Vingegaard.

Originally from Colorado, Sepp has a unique story that could have even led him to Italy for the Winter Olympics, but things turned out completely differently. The American followed his heart, his passion for cycling, and at one point, as a young cross-country skiing prospect, he decided to dedicate himself to cycling and enjoy pedaling. In the peloton, he's one of the strongest climbers, but his true specialty is bringing his team leaders safely to the finish line - not for nothing has he been nicknamed "The Postman" in the team. His main seasonal goal will be to stand beside Vingegaard in his assault on the Giro and then the Tour, and in this context, his participation in Oman is crucial to fine-tune his form and potentially play his own cards. "I've been to the Arabian Peninsula before, but never to Oman. I wanted to do a slightly different race, and here's the opportunity to test myself on some beautiful climbs. The level is high, and there are many well-equipped teams. I know little about these roads, but I'm very curious to tackle Green Mountain. Everyone says it's the symbolic climb of this country and that the final victory will be decided there." He tells us, already preparing to face riders like Adam Yates and Valentin Paret Peintre from tomorrow's stage.

Sepp Kuss is a kind of guardian angel, always by Vingegaard's side in practically all Tour assaults, in the victories of 2022 and 2023 up to last year's great defeat. He and the Dane know each other perfectly, having been side by side for many years, and they don't even need words to communicate - a glance is enough to understand what the team leader needs. Together they've experienced the glory of success and the difficulties of keeping up with a truly unleashed Tadej Pogacar. We often tend to limit the challenge to Vingegaard and the world champion, but it's something deeper that involves an entire team motivated to find the best version of itself. "Jonas is an extraordinary rider. When he won the Tour in 2022, the world practically discovered him. He returned to France with the pressure of having to prove he was unbeatable, but for two years now, it's been impossible to keep up with Tadej Pogacar. It's useless to say, it's a fact that must be accepted, but this doesn't mean we should give up; on the contrary, we're motivated to improve even more. When you compete at a certain level, you must first be honest with yourself. In 2025, the UAE team was unbeatable, and this evidence has spurred us to become better riders. Everyone at Visma wants to do better than the UAE Team, we push each other - it's part of being sportsmen. If everything were easy, it wouldn't be so beautiful."

Jonas Vingegaard is undoubtedly the grand tour specialist at Visma Lease a Bike, but Sepp Kuss remains one of the strongest climbers in the group. Two and a half years have passed since his totally unexpected victory at the Vuelta, the most important success of his career that he cherishes in a special way. But in our long conversation with him, one question almost spontaneously arises: will it ever be possible to launch a new assault on a grand tour as a team leader? Sepp answers directly, not hiding how many things have changed since 2023, not in the group, but in his being a rider. "We must be sincere. When I won the Vuelta, nobody knew me. Everyone underestimated me; otherwise, they would never have allowed me to break away and gain so many minutes. If I were to do that now, it would be impossible. Everyone would control me, and no team would make such a mistake again. To truly aim for a grand tour victory, I would need specific preparation, revolutionize my training and my season. I'd like to, but I'm not sure I'm capable. I'm comfortable in my domestique role; I don't have to manage pressure, I just have to do my job to the best of my abilities. But this doesn't mean giving up. In our team, we have a team leader, but there's room for everyone. We have our spaces, our opportunities to chase victory, and it's up to us to exploit them to the fullest.

Meanwhile, the Tour of Oman begins today. At the Sink Hole finish line, a sprint is expected, but from tomorrow we'll be able to see Sepp Kuss fighting among the front positions in search of a new success for his career.