Sepp Kuss got to keep the leader’s red jersey in the Vuelta a Espana as his birthday gift.
Celebrating his 29th birthday, the American on Wednesday held on to the overall lead despite finishing behind Jumbo-Visma teammates Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic after a difficult climb.
“When I crossed the finish line, I thought I had lost the jersey and I wasn’t even sad because I gave it the best I could on the climb,” Kuss said. “When I heard I still had the jersey, I was a bit surprised. Strange feelings today, but not in a bad way. It was a very happy birthday, spending it doing what I enjoy most.”
Photo: AFP
Roglic picked up his second stage win after he and Vingegaard dropped Kuss near the end of the 124.5km route that finished through the fog atop the Altu de L’Angliru summit in a classic Vuelta ascent.
Kuss was able to stay close enough to finish third, 19 seconds behind his teammates. His overall lead dropped to eight seconds ahead of Vingegaard, with Roglic more than 1 minute behind entering the final stages.
Kuss said he was not bothered by Roglic breaking away along with Vingegaard near the end.
Photo: AFP
“Another day with my two strong teammates, my friends as well,” he said. “I think we had as good as a time you can racing up the Angliru and it was just a crazy day. One day closer.”
Kuss is trying to become the first American to win a Grand Tour event since Chris Horner won the Vuelta in 2013.
The 29-year-old entered the race in Spain as a support rider for Roglic and Vingegaard, but took the lead on stage 8 and has yet to relinquish it.
Roglic is looking to claim a record-tying fourth Vuelta title, while Vingegaard is coming off a successful title defense in the Tour de France.
“I did my own tempo and the climb made the difference,” Roglic said. “I went for it and I did my own pace until the top. I spoke with Kuss. I know it’s a weird feeling, but on such a steep climb everyone goes as fast as possible and then we see. I told him: ‘Keep fighting, keep believing and you will make it.’”
Jumbo-Visma are trying to sweep all three Grand Tour races this year, with Roglic having won the Giro d’Italia and Vingegaard the Tour de France.
The three-week race ends on Sunday in Madrid.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
With a quivering finger, England Subbuteo veteran Rudi Peterschinigg conceded the free-kick that sent his country’s World Cup quarter-final into extra-time before smashing his plastic goalkeeper on the floor in frustration. In the genteel southern English town of Tunbridge Wells, 300 elite players have gathered to play the game they love. “I won’t say this is the best weekend I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s certainly in the top two,” said Hughie Best, 58, who flew in from Perth, Australia, to compete and commentate at the event. Tunbridge Wells is the “spiritual home” of Subbuteo, which was invented there in 1946