Sepp Kuss Back as Cycling’s Ultimate Kingmaker at the Giro d’Italia

Sepp Kuss leads an ambitious North American contingent poised to have an oversized impact on the 2026 Giro d’Italia.

Kuss is among four Americans and two Canadians lining up for the 109th edition of the Italian grand tour who be lighting up stages, helping GC captains, and chasing personal milestones.

Behind Kuss, the North American supporting cast will have plenty of opportunities to shine across three weeks during the corsa rosa.

Magnus Sheffield lines up as a wild card for Netcompany-Ineos, balancing GC support duties with freedom to chase results from breakaways. The same goes for Will Barta and Larry Warbasse at Tudor Pro Cycling.

Four American starters in this year’s Giro is about par for the U.S. contingent in the 2020s, with a decade-low three in 2022 and 2025, and a high of eight in 2020.

The last U.S. male to win a Giro stage was Brandon McNulty in 2023. Now-retired Joe Dombrowski is the other U.S. Giro stage winner this decade, with a win in 2021.

Last year’s runner-up Isaac del Toro — who rewrote Mexican grand tour racing history in 2025 — is focusing on the Tour de France this year.

All six will be wearing different hats, from helping GC captains, hunting breakaways and stage wins, or, in the case of Derek Gee-West, harboring personal GC ambitions themselves.

Gee-West will be eyeing what would be Canada’s second pink jersey — Ryder Hesjedal won Canada’s only men’s grand tour in 2012 — if he can deliver career-best form.

North Americans might not be headlining the Giro, but they could still decide how it’s won.

Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike)

One of four Americans in the Giro, the Coloradan climber lines up for his 16th career grand tour start, and just his third corsa rosa.

This is his first since the historical 2023 season when he helped Primož Roglič win the Giro, powered Jonas Vingegaard to Tour de France victory, and claimed the Vuelta a España himself.

Back in Italy as the peloton’s ultimate kingmaker, Kuss will anchor Vingegaard’s bid as the pre-race favorite.

He also carries a rare personal target to win a stage that would complete the grand tour stage sweep to add to his Tour and Vuelta victories.

A proven talisman, Kuss has been on every grand tour-winning squad for Visma since 2019, except last year’s Giro upset with Simon Yates.

Ambition: Protect Vingegaard’s GC bid while chasing a stage win to complete the grand tour sweep.

Will Barta (Tudor Pro Cycling)

The 30-year-old lines up for his seventh grand tour and fourth Giro, settling into a key support role since joining Tudor.

He’ll work for Michael Storer in the GC battle but brings proven firepower, including a sixth-place Giro stage and second in a Vuelta TT behind Roglič in 2020.

Barta’s engine and TT pedigree give him personal options if the race opens up.

Ambition: Support Storer in GC, with freedom to target stages if opportunities emerge.

Magnus Sheffield (Netcompany-Ineos)

The American talent lines up for his third grand tour and second Giro as part of the rebranded Netcompany-Ineos.

Sheffield impressed with a third-place stage finish on his Giro debut in 2024 and came close again at the Vuelta last before crashing out of a winning move when he clipped his pedal in the final corner.

After a spring disrupted by a crash at the Tour of Flanders, Sheffield will back GC leaders Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman.

The team will likely give him a chance to chase breakaways at a few choice moments as the team will want at least one stage win for its new title sponsor.

Ambition: Hunt stage wins from breakaways while supporting Ineos GC leaders.

Larry Warbasse (Tudor Pro Cycling)

A proven road captain, Warbasse starts his 13th grand tour and eighth Giro, adding experience and depth to Tudor’s GC ambitions around Storer.

With a fifth-place Giro stage result in 2020, he can go deep in breakaways. Tudor will want a stage win in this Giro, so Warbasse should get the green light to move at some point.

Ambition: Guide Storer through the mountains while targeting selective breakaway chances.

Derek Gee-West (Lidl-Trek)

Canada’s top GC rider is back for his fourth grand tour start and third Giro. Since his move to Lidl-Trek, Gee-West steps into a clear leadership role with ambitions for the final podium in Rome.

The Giro has already been his proving ground, with four second-place finishes in his breakout 2023 grand tour debut, followed by ninth at the Tour in 2024 and fourth overall at last year’s Giro.

Despite not racing for much of the second half of 2025 following his contract dispute, he was seventh at the UAE Tour and 12th at Tour of the Alps this spring.

With his strong time trial, a podium could be within reach if he can stay consistent in the brutal mountains of week three.

Ambition: Target the overall podium as a full GC leader.

Nickolas Zukowsky (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

The 27-year-old returns for his second Giro and third grand tour after crashing out early last year. With Tom Pidcock skipping the Giro, Q36.5 arrives with a more open, stage-hunting approach. Zukowsky should have plenty of opportunities to go on the attack.

Ambition: Chase breakaways, reach Rome, and target a stage win.