Sepp Kuss might not, not less than not but, be as much as tackling Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates) on the climbs of Volta a Catalunya. However the race’s second straight Pyrenean summit end on Wednesday noticed the Visma-Lease a Bike star tackle a much more lively, and in the end extra worthwhile function, within the stage’s closing mountain battle.
Following a mid-climb assault on Port Ainé by Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) and the race chief’s devastating counter-move, Kuss made a searing cost throughout to Landa and the 2 started working laborious to restrict Pogačar’s solo bid for glory.
The final time Landa and Kuss had labored collectively on a mountain climb was when the Basque rider and North American powered by the mists of the Angliru within the 2023 Vuelta a España, chasing down Kuss’ teammates Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič in protection of Kuss general lead.
This time round, in very completely different circumstances, Kuss lastly dropped again to complete fifth in a bunch of three chasers behind Pogačar and Landa, transferring to seventh general. No achieve on GC is ever to be sneezed at, after all.
Maybe extra importantly, Kuss confirmed on Wednesday that he had extra within the tank proper now than his regular however in any other case unremarkable journey to twelfth on stage 2 at Vallter 2000, 24 hours earlier, would have recommended.
“I’m doing nicely, we tried to make the stage laborious, and eventually we have now to be glad with our efficiency,” Kuss stated, referring to how Visma-Lease a Bike had stepped up the tempo on the interminably-long second ascent of the day, the 25-kilometre Port del Canto, earlier than he moved into motion himself at Port Ainé.
“I used to be not well-placed when Landa attacked, and I attempted to shut the hole, however Pogačar had already gone,” Kuss stated. “We tried to work collectively, however there was a powerful headwind and it wasn’t that straightforward.”
Now simply 70 seconds behind second-placed Landa general, though Pogačar is all however out of attain, Kuss remained optimistic about his probabilities of constructing on GC.
That’s notably true given stage 6’s journey by the mountains of central Catalunya is such a tricky climbing day, a lot of which takes place on roads the Andorra-based rider is aware of just like the again of his hand from coaching within the space.
“On Saturday something might nonetheless occur,” he predicted. “I’m nonetheless hoping for a prime 5, perhaps even having a attempt on the podium. We’ll go on racing in the way in which we do and see what occurs.”
Kuss defined that the technique on the Cantó had been to whittle down the opposition, “as a result of there are a variety of guys who’d be brisker ultimately”.
“For us, it was higher to do a great tempo and see what might occur on the climb. It was good to attempt to present ourselves, it was enjoyable to race. I’m more than happy with the way it labored out. It went significantly better than yesterday, I felt loads higher and we have now to be happy with the group too. Hopefully, tomorrow [Thursday] will probably be a neater day, although and we will relaxation up a bit.
“It’s going to be very tough to go for that,” he stated when requested if Pogačar was nonetheless beatable. “We have now to attempt to comply with him however with out blowing up.
“I’m nonetheless trying ahead to Saturday, although, and issues might nonetheless occur on Sunday’s grand finale.”
