Cyclist Sepp Kuss set to win Spain’s La Vuelta. His biggest rivals? His team

Sepp Kuss, overall leader of La Vuelta cycling race in Spain, has found his most persistent challengers to be his own teammates. He’s seen here after Friday’s stage.

Oscar Del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images

Sepp Kuss is the crowd favorite to win La Vuelta a España, one of cycling’s crown jewels. But in a dramatic twist, the biggest threat to Kuss has come from within his own team — including a much-criticized attack on Kuss’ birthday that cut into his lead.

The result is an international sports controversy with all the trimmings, one that gets to the heart of how elite road cycling defines itself in its most high-profile team events.

La Vuelta ends on Sunday. Here’s a quick guide to what’s been going on in Spain:

Kuss is on cycling’s most dominant team

Kuss’ teammates on the Jumbo-Visma squad include two of the top cyclists in recent memory: two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard and three-time Vuelta champion Primož Roglič (who also won this year’s Giro d’Italia).

Kuss, who is from Durango, Colo., has faithfully served both Vingegaard and Roglič in key moments, pacing them on brutal climbs, shielding them from the wind and chasing down their rivals. By being a loyal domestique, or support rider, he has repeatedly helped them climb to the top of the podium.

The trio are currently ranked 1-2-3 in La Vuelta, nearly three minutes ahead of their closest rival. On its face, that’s a bit boring. But in a fascinating twist, it’s Kuss who has been wearing La Roja — the Spanish equivalent of the French yellow jersey — since becoming the race’s leader on Sept. 2.

There’s just one snag: Kuss is not the leader of Jumbo-Visma.

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