Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by Rapha   It’s great timing to have this guy on the pod, he is the man of the moment and has been dominating the Vuelta a Espana – I’m talking of course about Sepp Kuss. I was so excited to get Sepp on the pod to learn a bit more about this enigmatic American rider and hear the backstory of his meteoric rise to the top ranks of the World Tour. He’s something of an anomaly in the pro peloton, having tread a very different route to the top of the sport. He came through the junior ranks as a mountain biker, having grown up in the remote, mountainous city of Durango Colorado, which is known for its incredible trails and vibrant mountain biking community. On moving to Boulder to study at university, he discovered road cycling and started racing on the American circuit. During his early days of racing, when he was just starting to capture the attention of American teams, it was a meeting with Jumbo-Visma DS Grischa Niermann that catapulted Kuss from a relatively unknown, new on the scene young American talent, to European pro, and one of the most sought-after domestiques in the sport - and more recently, bona fide Grand Tour contender. He’s part of a new generation of incredible American talent coming through the ranks, which is so exciting to watch, and we delve into some of this to see what the cycling landscape is like in the US currently in the post-Lance era, and where the future of the sport is headed. We also chatted about the pressures that come with being a Grand Tour contender, and whether he feels the pull to ride as a GC contender himself. We talked about what it’s like being the main support to these superstar riders, as well as the personalities and quirks among some of the sport’s biggest names that Sepp has ridden for. I hope you enjoy the listen! Cheers, Mitch