Sepp Kuss, the man
#76
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Yes, it makes them special. Just like all the team sports superstars. Or maybe a little more.
There's an inherent amount of give and take in just about any sport. Target wide receiver A and that means WR B, the TE, and the RB don't get a touch and an opportunity to notch another stat that might end in a healthy payday from contract incentives.
It's a little more clear and present when Roglic wound up third after spending months living like a monk on Tenerife or wherever he was. C'est la vie? Sure. Also weird. And special.
If you want to get amazed by the business of pro cycling, start digging into the team and league structure, or lack thereof, how TV rights and sponsorship dollars flow, etc. Compared to that, a little champion ego friction on the road is child's play.
There's an inherent amount of give and take in just about any sport. Target wide receiver A and that means WR B, the TE, and the RB don't get a touch and an opportunity to notch another stat that might end in a healthy payday from contract incentives.
It's a little more clear and present when Roglic wound up third after spending months living like a monk on Tenerife or wherever he was. C'est la vie? Sure. Also weird. And special.
If you want to get amazed by the business of pro cycling, start digging into the team and league structure, or lack thereof, how TV rights and sponsorship dollars flow, etc. Compared to that, a little champion ego friction on the road is child's play.
But perhaps this illustrates why I have grown suspicious of big business sports in general.
Call it a cultural difference or whatever, but I guess that means that pro cycling is just not for me.
I'll take my leave then.
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It can be tough to confuse or distinguish between teamwork and equality.
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I guess that how I've learned about teamwork is that the team superstars should never see themselves above the team, and that everyone should work equally hard.
But perhaps this illustrates why I have grown suspicious of big business sports in general.
Call it a cultural difference or whatever, but I guess that means that pro cycling is just not for me.
I'll take my leave then.
But perhaps this illustrates why I have grown suspicious of big business sports in general.
Call it a cultural difference or whatever, but I guess that means that pro cycling is just not for me.
I'll take my leave then.
Are you a baseball fan? Would you abandon it if your favorite home run king deliberately hit a sacrifice fly to win a key game?
Bike racing is a team sport, with complex tactics, complex relationships, AND elements of uncertainty that no individual or team can control or predict. If you don't have the patience or the interest to learn the intricacies and to appreciate the nuances, there are indeed sports that are simpler to understand. Your choice.
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I'm totally happy for Sepp Kuss. But people shouldn't expect this to be more than what it is likely to be - a one off. Had Kuss been the marked J-V team leader, he wouldn't have been allowed into the break on Stage 6.
He will have greater visibility and may share team leadership in the Giro or Vuelta in coming years, but as long as he and Vingegaard remain at J-V, Kuss will return to being Jonas' superdomestique for the Tour.
Also, this is a small shot in the arm for American cycling, but nothing on the scale of Lemond and (before the fall) Armstrong. Most American sport fans don't even know what the Vuelta is.
He will have greater visibility and may share team leadership in the Giro or Vuelta in coming years, but as long as he and Vingegaard remain at J-V, Kuss will return to being Jonas' superdomestique for the Tour.
Also, this is a small shot in the arm for American cycling, but nothing on the scale of Lemond and (before the fall) Armstrong. Most American sport fans don't even know what the Vuelta is.
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Thank you Sepp Kuss!
Sepp getting into the break is what the Pinot-Gaudu-Uran-Woods etc of cycling must absolutely dream of. Though I'm still suspicious that there was more then just a "whoops" thing going on for Sepp from JV leadership or Sepp himself. Check out the (yes shortened distance) TT results. Very interesting (oh Soler...)
I'm suspicious if Remco really "cracked" on the Tourmalet stage or just realized he'd been snookered so might as well go for stage wins instead of a top 5.
I really want to see Sepp go for a stage at the giro and the maglia azura. An interesting reminder of that stage 20 TT by the way ...
Hmm ...
I'm suspicious if Remco really "cracked" on the Tourmalet stage or just realized he'd been snookered so might as well go for stage wins instead of a top 5.
I really want to see Sepp go for a stage at the giro and the maglia azura. An interesting reminder of that stage 20 TT by the way ...
Hmm ...
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Back when I was racing I was often the designated team leader. That was fine sometimes, but I always wanted to return the favour to my teammates when I could. Sepp Kuss had been an unflinching team support rider for years wherever he rode. When I started this thread I was paying homage to someone I think is the man every team needs. That he came through and won a Grand Tour since this thread was started sort of validates what I said at first. That he managed to win the Vuelta after being a key helper in 2 previous Grand Tours sort of underlines the title of this thread
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Back when I was racing I was often the designated team leader. That was fine sometimes, but I always wanted to return the favour to my teammates when I could. Sepp Kuss had been an unflinching team support rider for years wherever he rode. When I started this thread I was paying homage to someone I think is the man every team needs. That he came through and won a Grand Tour since this thread was started sort of validates what I said at first. That he managed to win the Vuelta after being a key helper in 2 previous Grand Tours sort of underlines the title of this thread
To go a little deeper, here’s a nice article about Sepp’s early days. I’d assumed he came from a super-competitive cycling background, but it appears that the Durango MTB scene was a lot more about having fun. And that still shows in how he rides.
https://www.bicycling.com/racing/a45...ung-sepp-kuss/
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I never think I have hit hard, unless it rebounds.
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I never think I have hit hard, unless it rebounds.
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