2023 Vuelta a España

Stages 1-9

American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma) is wearing the red jersey as we head into the first rest day!

The last time an American wore the overall leader’s jersey at La Vuelta was a decade ago – on the shoulders of Chris Horner.

Kuss, a career domestique (a super domestique, thank you very much) with two Grand Tour winners on his team, finding his way into the leader’s jersey? Not the outcome that anyone predicted before the race.

How did we get here? In short, a wacky, weather-impacted team time trial on Stage 1 put the elite GC teams at a significant time deficit and has changed the day-to-day calculus. The obvious GC contenders – Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma), and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) – have been marking each other, content to pull back the pretend race leaders with incremental daily efforts.

The degree of patience, however, has opened the door for strong, dark horse riders to make some noise. And riders like Lenny Martinez (Groupama FDJ), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma), and Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) walked right through that door. But the pride of the red jersey on the first rest day belongs to the American alone.

Stage 1

La Vuelta remains committed to the Team Time Trial format in a way that few race organizers have in recent years. It’s a beautiful opportunity for teams with big motors and elegant bike handling to put on a display of power.

Who were the favorites for this opening stage trial around the neighborhoods of Barcelona? The usual suspects: Jumbo Visma, Soudal-Quikstep, Ineos Grenadiers. The types of teams that arrived with genuine GC contenders and top domestiques, looking to put the big hurt on second- and third-tier teams with sheer wattage.

So much for that plan. Team dsm-firmenreich – nobody’s pick for the day, stage hunters at best – took out out the elite teams on an absolutely stinker of a weather day. If riders want to blame the wet conditions for subpar performances, who could blame them? Most of the GC teams opted to play it safe in the weather when it became apparent that Team dsm-firmenreich’s time was holding strong. Playing it safe or not, Team Ineos Grenadiers still lost Laurens de Plus on a nasty wet corner.

Credit the tenacity, though, of a young squad at Team DSM for making the best of bad surfaces. Romain Bardet’s squad pulled across the finish line just ahead of Movistar, and six seconds ahead a slew of also-rans: EF Education-Easypost, Soudal QuikStep, and Groupama FDJ.

Stage 2

Journalists on the cycling beat reported some behind-the-scenes lobbying by the riders after Stage 1 to be mindful of the weather and dangerous race conditions. But you didn’t need to have your ear cupped to the door to hear what might already be the quote of La Vuelta: “We’re not monkeys in a circus.” Those were the white hot words of disdain dropped from the lips of last year’s overall winner Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) at the finish line of the first stage.

After a night of back-and-forth and bad energy from the peloton, the race organizers deigned to cut short the finish of a rain-soaked Stage 2 by nine kilometers. From the television coverage it looked like a combination of slick surfaces, abundant road furniture, and an awkward profile made for a dangerous ride regardless. The shortened route did not save elite GC contenders Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) from hitting the deck with about 30km to go.

The winner of this year’s Tour de France Jonas Vingegaard (JV) and Evenepoel were among the big names who rallied midrace for the peloton to check itself at a safe pace. The swarm of cyclists formed a united front across the broad boulevard as a safety measure and a kind of protest against the poor conditions. There was a humorous moment when two chasers found themselves a few hundred feet in front of the determined peloton, unsure whether to press on the attack to the lead group or surrender to the will of the racers in back.

Meanwhile the small group of riders already in the lead continued to defend their advantage. The group included Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost), who went on to win the red jersey at the end of the stage, having benefited from a strong finish in the team time trial yesterday.

It was Andreas Kron (Lotto Dstny) who took stage honors. Once the peloton caught up with the breakaway group, it might have turned into a sprint finish were it not for some last minute uphills. Kron took advantage of the inclines, pulling ahead first and best up the steep ramp right before the finish.

Stage 3

After two days of bad vibes and general consternation with the weather and organizers, the riders must have been relieved to finally leave Barcelona. The skies were clear for the early mountain stage and the question of the day was whether or not the GC contending teams would bite on the uphill challenge or let a harmless breakaway hold on for the win.

Turned out to be a little of both. Following a series of unsuccessful attempts, a breakaway finally stuck and built up to double digit riders. By the time the peloton hit the bottom of the uphill finale, the breakaway riders were getting reeled in one by one.

Only Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) remained in the break. And, for a moment, it looked like one of the two would take the stage. Cooperation between the pair, however, faltered and they too were swallowed up by the peloton.

With the peloton all together once more, and the sprinters too far behind to make it a sprint finish, a collection of GC rivals eyed the stage prize for themselves. There would be no early distancing by the likes of lesser knowns such as Andreas Kron this time around. It was all the big names; notably, a trio from Jumbo Visma, Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard, and the American Sepp Kuss, threw their weight around at the head of the pack in the final kilometers.

But none of the three had the motor or the license to go for the win, and they all nipped at Remco Evenepoel’s heel when he made the winning move in the final 200 meters. He may not be a circus monkey, but he certainly put on a show as he moves into the red jersey.

Stage 4

The stage had the makings of a sprint finish provided the fastmen could handle the pair of category-3 peaks in the final 50 kilometers. Not a problem. Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) holds on to be in the mix at the final sprint, and no one can keep pace with his finishing kick.

There was some talk that this was a low turnout La Vuelta for sprinters, who took a look at the stage profiles and didn’t see much they liked. The rewards are rich, though, for the fastmen who are willing to sift through the sand for the gold. With less competition, who knows… Could Kaden Groves enjoy a similar dominance in the Spanish tour as his teammate Jasper Philipsen enjoyed in the French? Likely not, if only for the lack of sprint and sprint-adjacent stages. But a few stage wins could be in the cards.

Eduardo Sepulveda (Lotto DSTNY) grabbed the mountain points to move into the blue polka-dot jersey. Last year’s winner Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep) wears the familiar red jersey at the end of the stage.

Stage 5

Did we say that Kaden Groves (Alpecin Deceuninck) has a shot at multiple wins? He didn’t wait long to cash out that claim. It was a sprint stage, but quite a nasty profile for a sprint stage. Hilly, not flat. With plenty of pain to put into the legs before the flat ten kilometer finish. Groves hustled to the front and beat out the bunch sprint.

Eduardo Sepulveda (Lotto DSTNY) hoovered up more mountain points to stay in the King of the Mountains jersey while Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep) stayed in the red jersey.

Enric Mas (Movistar) and Lenny Martinez (Groupama FDJ) find themselves in second and third overall, respectively, at the end of Stage 5. Talented riders, no doubt. But with Jumbo Visma’s Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard on the prowl, it’s hard to imagine that 1-2-3 podium has staying power.

Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla) crashes out in the neutral start while teammate Filippo Zana withdraw with stomach issues. A tough first week for the Australian team.

Stage 6

At around seventy kilometers in, a strong group made it into the breakaway. Strong in numbers (42!) and strong in talent, including third overall in the standings Lenny Martinez (Groupama FDJ), along with Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost), Andreas Kron (Lotto Dstny), and more. Not a lightweight bunch to let go!

Some of the teams without representation in the break try to organize a capture, but the depleted peloton can’t meet the challenge. It remains up to those within the breakaway to find a stage winner…and a new red jersey?

American Sepp Kuss, the tireless mountain domestique for Jumbo Visma GC riders, seized the moment to push past the leaders in the breakaway to go solo for the final three kilometers up the steep side Pico del Buitre. No one can touch him. Lenny Martinez, not far behind the American and already second overall, hops into the red jersey while Sepp Kuss enjoys the stage win.

Scroll through social media for Kuss’s epic sip of the victory bubbly.

What did we learn about Remco Evenepoel’s team as he cedes the overall lead? Maybe not as strong as he needs to control every aspect of the race. When he needed them, Remco’s teammates could not reel in the breakaway and, as a result, he falls over two minutes behind the new race leader.

A tough day for UAE Emirates and rider Jay Vine, forced to abandon after a tough crash on the stage. He was a top domestique who could threaten a stage win on most days, and, for some, a dark horse GC contender.

Stage 7

About as pure of a sprint stage as you’ll get in this year’s La Vuelta. A few hills in the first half to stretch the legs, then a long, flat seventy kilometers to the finish. Plenty of time to pull your sprint train together.

In a tight bunch Geoffrey Soupe (Total Energies) gets a nose ahead of the pack for the stage win.

In a frightening scene Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) was wheeled into an ambulance after crashing badly as the teams prepared for the final sprint. The team gave the following update:

A talented rider, and one less set of legs to look after the already shaky GC ambitions of teammate Geraint Thomas.

Stage 8

American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma) moves into the red jersey! The last time an American wore the overall leader’s jersey at La Vuelta was a decade ago – on the shoulders of Chris Horner. A career domestique – a super domestique, thank you very much – with two Grand Tour winners on his team, finding his way into the leader’s jersey? Not the outcome that anyone predicted before the race.

How did we get here? In short, a wacky, weather-impacted team time trial on Stage 1 put the elite GC teams at a significant time deficit and has changed the day-to-day calculus. The obvious GC contenders – Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma), and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) – have been marking each other, content to pull back the pretend race leaders with incremental daily efforts.

The degree of patience, however, has opened the door for strong, dark horse riders to blow past the bigger names. And riders like Lenny Martinez (Groupama FDJ), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma), and Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) walked right through that door.

Jumbo Visma put on a strong show of force with the three riders Vingegaard, Roglic, and Kuss making uncomfortable company for Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep), who looks increasingly isolated and left to his own devices in terms of a red jersey defense in 2023.

Primoz Roglic broke ahead of everyone to take the stage win while Lenny Martinez’s blowup on the stage let Sepp Kuss shift into the red jersey of the overall leader.

Stage 9

Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) completes the hat trick. A stage win in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and now Vuelta a Espana. The tough mountain climber outlasted his competition at the front. The German rider took advantage of the uphill finale to separate for the win.

American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma) heads into the first rest day in the red jersey. Jumbo Visma might have some thinking to do over the rest day, with their nominal domestique more than two minutes ahead of the riders he’s signed on to support Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic in the overall time. The individual time trial on Stage 10 may do their thinking for them. A strong performance by one or both of the big names on Jumbo Visma will reset everyone’s outlook and we may see a return to business as usual. But an American can dare to dream…

Eduardo Sepulveda (Lotto DSTNY) is nowhere to be seen for King of the Mountain points on the stage. He holds onto the blue polka dot jersey, but just barely with a 1-point lead heading into the rest day.

On to the rest day!

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