Kuss Holds Onto Red Jersey as Roglic Triumphs in 17th Stage of Vuelta a España
Sepp Kuss retains the leader’s red jersey by a slim eight-second margin over Jonas Vingegaard, with Primoz Roglic winning the 17th stage of the Vuelta a España.
Sepp Kuss, representing Jumbo Visma, managed to maintain his grip on the coveted red leader’s jersey in the Vuelta a España, with a narrow lead of just eight seconds over his teammate Jonas Vingegaard. Meanwhile, Primoz Roglic secured victory in the 17th stage of the race.
Despite finishing 19 seconds behind the stage winner, Roglic, and his teammate Vingegaard, Kuss successfully clung to the leader’s jersey on his 29th birthday, as reported by Xinhua.
As anticipated, the ascent of the legendary Altu de L’Angliru brought forth tension and drama, with riders contending with the steepest climb in the race. While it appeared that Kuss might relinquish his lead to his teammate, he summoned the strength to stay within striking distance of Vingegaard and Roglic in the final two kilometers.
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With his hopes of repeating last year’s overall victory fading, Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick Step shifted his focus to securing the jersey for the best climber. He initiated a solo attack early in the stage to accumulate points on the two first-category climbs that preceded the grueling Angliru ascent in the short yet challenging 124-kilometer stage.
The Bahrain Victorious team led the chase, working on behalf of Mikel Landa, who ultimately finished fourth on the stage. They finally caught up with the Belgian rider six kilometers from the summit of the punishing Angliru climb, known for its gradients exceeding 20 percent, effectively slowing the race to a crawl.
Riders continued to struggle, falling off the pace, until only six remained in the lead group. Among them were three Bahrain Victorious riders and the Jumbo Visma trio of Sepp Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard, and Primoz Roglic. With just two kilometers left to ride, the three Jumbo Visma riders surged ahead.
In the misty conditions, it was Kuss who lost some ground as his two teammates inched ahead. Roglic crossed the finish line slightly ahead of Vingegaard. Kuss managed to outpace Landa in a sprint for third place, securing the final time bonus, which could prove critical as the race becomes increasingly competitive.
Kuss continues to lead Vingegaard by a mere eight seconds, with Roglic currently in third place overall, trailing by one minute and eight seconds.