When a weary-looking Sepp Kuss rode up the sunlit Gran Via in Madrid last September 8 on the final day of the 2024 Vuelta a España, crossed the finish line of the stage 21 time trial and talked to reporters, rather than brush over the disappointment, his analysis of the below-expectations Grand Tour he had just completed was notably unsparing.
"There’s no excuses, really," the 2023 Vuelta a España winner said after finishing a lowly 14th overall a year later and having barely impacted on the GC battle to boot.
