Despite going from super domestique to Grand Tour winner last summer at the Vuelta España in the biggest win of his career, Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) is still holding firm that Tour de France leadership is a different beast.
Kuss agreed with what Visma DS Grischa Niermann told Cyclingnews yesterday, that the hope is to stick with plan A and have Jonas Vingegaard return from injury in time for the Tour to lead the Dutch squad.
The American believes for Visma-Lease a Bike to win their third Tour de France in succession, it is "most likely" only possible with Vingegaard on the start line.
Two-time defending champion Vingegaard is currently at altitude camp in Tignes on his long journey back from injury while Kuss takes co-leads Visma at the Critérium du Dauphiné alongside US compatriot Matteo Jorgenson.
"Of course, it would change a bit [his Tour status]. I would hope that Jonas could do the Tour, I think that gives us all a bigger purpose," Kuss told reporters in Gannat ahead of stage 2 in France.
"For me, it's easier there with Jonas than just on my own for sure. But if he isn't there, then I'm ready to adapt but then you have to adjust the expectations a bit."
There's no stress for the moment from the American, however, even without his leader and last year's winner Vingegaard at the Dauphiné and the Tour just 26 days away.
In fact, he only exuded calmness at the opening two stages of the eight-day race, almost missing the départ fictif on stage 1 to respond to the media and looking to enjoy his first race back since Itzulia Basque Country in April where Vingegaard broke his collarbone and ribs and suffered a collapsed lung.
Kuss also made sure not to pigeonhole himself for a specific goal at the Tour de France should he end up as a leader, be that a top-five or podium finish, aware that Vingegaard's still undecided presence would change everything.
"I have no idea," he replied with a smile when asked how high he could finish if tasked with taking on the likes of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) for the overall alone.
"It depends on so many things. I always want to shoot for the best but in the Tour, you have to be realistic," Kuss said. "It's the hardest race to win and the hardest race to be on the podium."
However, while Kuss was unwilling to predict how his current form would carry to the Florence Grand Depart on June 29, he assured that he would seize the moment should it arise at the Tour.
"I just have to see in the moment how I feel and I think I know myself well enough - when I have the legs or not, and it's still a ways away until the Tour to see actually how it's going there," said the 29-year old Durango native.
"If I see the opportunity there I'll go for it."
Kuss finished in the group of leaders on stage 2 of the Dauphiné and sits equal sixth while Jorgenson moved up to third overall as the pair challenge for overall victory.
However, despite his excellence on the climbs, Kuss is aware that the 34km time trial on stage 4 isn't suited to his strengths, admitting that "I'm going to lose quite some time most likely."
And although the American defended his Vuelta lead in the TT last year en route to securing the US's first Grand Tour victory for a decade, this disadvantage will only be magnified at the Tour.
He'll be suited to most of the 2024 parcours but the 59 kilometres between the flat-ish race against the clock on stage 7 and the final time trial from Monaco to Nice will only play into the hands of Pogačar, Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step).
Kuss' best result at the Tour is 12th overall from last year's race, where only a crash on stage 20 denied him a top-10 finish.
In that race, Vingegaard's domination on the brutally tough and boiling hot Cote de Domancy ITT places him as the only viable Visma option against a top-form Pogačar after the Slovenian blitzed the GC field in the Giro d'Italia's duo of time trials last month.
Not to mention his repeated domination over Pogačar on the hardest, longest climbs to high altitude in the past two editions of La Grande Boucle
'GC Kuss' could yet become the main option, but the focus at Visma is certainly still on their outright leader Vingegaard returning close to 100% and trying to claim a Tour de France hat-trick while denying Pogačar a historic Giro-Tour double in the process.
