First official statment from Sepp Kuss as he returns to racing and leads Team Visma | Lease a Bike at 2024 Vuelta a Burgos

As the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France fade into the past, all eyes in the cycling world turn to the final Grand Tour of the season: the Vuelta a España.

For defending champion Sepp Kuss, the road to the Vuelta begins with the Vuelta a Burgos, which serves as a crucial warm-up event.

Kuss, who was sidelined from the Tour de France due to a positive COVID-19 test, shared his recovery journey with Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s official website. “I

feel good,” Kuss stated. “It took a while for me to recover from my illness, but my preparation for this period went smoothly.

Unfortunately, participating in the Tour was not possible for me, but the altitude training camp in Tignes with some teammates did me good.”

Kuss is keenly aware of the importance of the Vuelta a Burgos for his upcoming campaign. “The Tour of Burgos is a perfect preparation for the Vuelta,” he said.

“We will be riding on similar roads and in the same warm weather conditions.

There are some challenging stages where I want to show myself, but the main goal for me is to get into race rhythm. I hope to finish the tour with a good feeling and that I can put the finishing touches on it towards the Vuelta.”

The previous year saw Team Visma | Lease a Bike (formerly Jumbo-Visma) dominating with the Giro d’Italia’s Maglia Rosa and the Tour de France’s Maillot Jaune. However, 2024 has been more challenging for the team, which now looks to Kuss to rejuvenate their fortunes.

Team sports director Marc Reef is optimistic about their prospects. “In addition to Sepp, Cian Uijtdebroeks has also had a rest and training period. They were both able to prepare themselves well in Tignes.

We certainly want to achieve a good result, but our main goal is to leave the Tour with a good feeling,” Reef noted. “We see the Tour of Burgos as an ultimate incentive towards the Vuelta. Additionally, young riders such as Ben Tulett and Johannes Staune-Mittet will get their chance to show themselves.”

With the Vuelta a España on the horizon, the Vuelta a Burgos represents a vital opportunity for Kuss and his team to gain momentum and fine-tune their strategies.

As the cycling season heads towards its climax, all eyes will be on the Spanish roads to see if the defending champion can replicate his past success.