Kuss and Van Aert lead Team Visma at La Vuelta
Defending champion Sepp Kuss is team leader, with Wout van Aert looking for a stage wins and Cian Uijtdebroeks supporting
Team Visma | Lease a Bike hopes to make a big impact in Portugal and Spain with Van Aert, Kuss, and also Cian Uijtdebroeks. The latter two are aiming for the best possible position in the general classification. Van Aert will focus primarily on winning stages while also supporting the GC riders in the race, which runs from Saturday, August 17th to Sunday, September 8th.
This year, the Vuelta a España is a new challenge for Van Aert. Although he has ridden the Tour de France multiple times in his career, the Belgian has never participated in another Grand Tour. "I'm really excited for the Vuelta," Van Aert says. "During the Tour, I really found my good legs towards the end, which allowed me to achieve a good result at the Olympics as well. I certainly don't feel burnt out. Of course, it remains to be seen how my body will react to riding two Grand Tours in a year, simply because I've never done it before. But I am confident that I can handle this Vuelta well, especially since in other years, I often came out of the Tour much more exhausted."
Van Aert makes no secret of his hunger for success. "I want to use this good feeling to win again. I'm really craving it. Let's start by aiming for one stage win. Hopefully, that will lead to a successful three weeks. There are good opportunities in the first few days already. Maybe the red jersey could be an option then. My personal goal is to go for stage wins. Additionally, I want to be valuable to Sepp and Cian."
Kuss, the overall winner of the 2023 edition, can't wait to return to the Vuelta. After being forced to miss the Tour de France due to a COVID-19 infection, Kuss found renewed confidence with a stage win and overall victory in the Vuelta a Burgos. "It was a very satisfying feeling to win in Burgos. I hadn't raced for a long time. This was a nice confirmation," Kuss says. "I quickly got over the disappointment of missing the Tour, but it was definitely a letdown. Luckily, I was able to focus on the Vuelta afterwards.”
Kuss realizes that the Vuelta will be a very different challenge. "The win in Burgos definitely gave me confidence, but I was most happy just to be back on the bike and racing with the guys. I know the Vuelta will be a completely different story, with a different course and different competition. A lot can happen in a three-week race, but I'm glad that I feel good both physically and mentally. I took it easy for a few days after the COVID-19 infection but was able to train well afterward."