Lots of of followers welcomed Sepp Kuss again to his hometown of Durango in Colorado to have fun his Vuelta a España victory, the primary North American Grand Tour success for a decade.
The aptly nicknamed ‘Eagle of Durango’ obtained a hero’s reception in Buckley Park with an enormous crowd gathered to satisfy, hearken to and even trip with Kuss all through a celebratory afternoon.
Kuss’ biking profession got here full circle as Durango Devo, the mountain bike improvement program that began his journey, hosted the homecoming celebration.
Kuss reduce his enamel there as a youth on the paths earlier than his rise to the WorldTour. His success is inspiration for all of the younger youngsters who got here to satisfy their native legend.
“It’s positively surreal,” stated Kuss to The Durango Herald and reporters on the Durango Cyclery.
“First off, I by no means anticipated to be on this place. However on the identical time, it’s not a dream come true as a result of it is one thing I by no means dreamed of, by no means anticipated.
“Through the race, it turned extra actual, the prospect of profitable the Vuelta, however I at all times tried to maintain myself distanced from that thought as a result of a lot can occur.”
Kuss moved into the crimson jersey on stage 8 of the Vuelta due to the time gained after his stage 6 victory as much as the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre.
He then had the arduous activity of holding all of it the best way to Madrid with teammates Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard as essentially the most imminent threats.
Kuss withstood all of the strain positioned on him, even from his teammates, to take a maiden Grand Tour victory after a few years of ‘super-domestique’ work for the aforementioned Roglič and Vingegaard.
His victory accomplished a historic Grand Tour triple for Jumbo-Visma, including to Roglič’s Giro d’Italia victory and Vingegaard’s second successive Tour de France triumph.
Kuss was a key a part of each squads, finishing all of the three-week excursions and profitable one – the primary and solely rider to take action since Gastone Nencini in 1957.
Lots of queued to satisfy Kuss in Durango and have footage signed after the bike parade on Major Avenue. Kuss returned to his roots on a Cervelo mountain bike, pairing his crimson jersey with denims and vivid working trainers as he rode with Durango Devo youth cyclists after which most people by way of the city.
“It was actually particular and I hope to be a superb position mannequin for the group and try to be as a lot of part of the group as attainable whereas I reside abroad,” stated Kuss, now a local of Andorra.
“I’ve my life over there, however I at all times really feel part of the Durango group.”
Kuss beamed with satisfaction all through the day and was understandably emotional concerning the homecoming, shocked by the entire city’s gratification and pleased to handle Durango’s significance in his rise to biking’s higher echelons.
“I by no means anticipated that degree of satisfaction that everybody was exhibiting in Durango,” stated Kuss.
“For me, that was actually transferring, particularly at this time was extra emotional than crossing the end line in Madrid as a result of it’s only a bunch of individuals however listed here are the those that I care about.
“I’m at all times grateful for Durango and what it introduced me by way of the very fact of residing right here. Simply by advantage of residing in Durango, you already begin better off as a result of you’ve gotten so many outside alternatives. It’s all actually good individuals and a healthful technique to develop up.”
Celebrating Sepp Kuss! Share your favourite image from at this time’s celebration within the feedback beneath! pic.twitter.com/YjZwITaxyoOctober 19, 2023
