‘GC Kuss’ Is Back at the Vuelta a España — How Far Can Sepp Kuss Take It?

News flash: Sepp Kuss and “GC Kuss” are so back.

Three years after his stunning Vuelta a España victory, America’s most popular grand tour rider is flashing his best climbing legs again — and suddenly he’s back in a fight for the podium.

The “Eagle of Durango” soared to fourth overall on his “home roads” Tuesday in Andorra.

Yes, Tadej Pogačar is already 3:21 up on everyone and threatening to put a lock on this Vuelta.

But Kuss is only 23 seconds behind former teammate and four-time winner Primož Roglič, currently holding the dubious honor of being first among mortals.

Kuss didn’t come to this Vuelta chasing the GC, but things have quickly changed.

“For now, just try and maintain that spot and try and stay with the best guys, and see how it goes from there,” Kuss told Velo. “Tomorrow will be a really tough day, then the day after, and then for sure the ninth stage. Just a typical Vuelta — every day or every other day, a big battle.”

After surviving Wednesday’s broiler down the Ebro Valley, Kuss remains fourth overall.

And now that “GC Kuss” is back in the bunch, he’s going to see how long he can stay there.

‘GC Kuss’ is back in the frame

A grand tour machine, Kuss is racing his third straight grand tour of 2026, something he also did in 2023 — the year he won the Vuelta.

Andorra offered the first hint yet that the old Kuss is back at this Vuelta.

He went deep in the final week of the Tour de France, twice attacking for victory during the double Alpe d’Huez finales. He didn’t get the stage win, but the signs were there that his best climbing legs were returning.

Of course, there is the Pogačar problem. It’s not a race for first, and everyone knows it.

“For sure it changes the dynamic and it’s a bit strange when you’re not racing to win but just racing against your immediate rivals,” Kuss told Velo. “He was untouchable.”

Kuss isn’t alone. With Pogačar seemingly racing on a different level, everyone from Roglič and Felix Gall to Oscar Onley and Richard Carapaz is facing the same reality.

Red is not a realistic goal. The fight to be best of the rest and the two places on the podium is wide open.

That suits Visma just fine. Without an outright leader to throw at Pogačar, the team has already won twice with Matthew Brennan and still has Wout van Aert waiting for his opportunities.

Kuss, meanwhile, gets to ride his own race and find out just how far this unexpected GC run can go.

Visma won’t put ceiling on Kuss

Visma sport director Maarten Wynants told Velo the team isn’t putting a ceiling on Kuss.

For now, they’ll let him race his own race and reassess things after Monday’s first rest day.

“We went with an open mind into it because it was his third grand tour. We know that Sepp can do well racing multiple grand tours in a year, but he has also this limit at a certain moment,” Wynants said. “It turns out that he is now able to follow the best GC riders. We will see every rest day how far we go.”

The next few days should put everyone in their place.

Stage 6 finishes on a brutally steep first-category climb of 9.4km at 7 percent. Stage 7 ends atop the Cat. 1 Aramón Valdelinares, and then Sunday closes the first week on the Cat. 1 Alto de Aitana, with the final 6.6km averaging 7.8 percent.

“A typical Vuelta,” as Kuss put it.

The Colorado climber is already having his best season since winning the Vuelta in 2023.

In May, Kuss won a Giro stage to complete his grand tour set, becoming only the second American male to officially win stages in all three grand tours. At the Tour, he came up empty-handed on Alpe d’Huez, but showed that his best form is back.

Now those legs have carried him to fourth in the early rounds of this Vuelta.

Pogačar might be running away with the race, but there are still two other steps on that final podium in Granada.

Finishing second to the world’s best is still something to race for.