"Normally the spotlight isn't something I need or seek out so much, but I think the Vuelta is a race I have a real connection with — the people and the roads — so for me it was an attention that I really got something out of and felt something for. Being in the leader’s jersey felt more natural than I expected, but it's not an easy role for me."

“As a team leader the biggest thing is mentally just being so focused in every moment. Knowing that you really have a lot to lose at any potential moment — bad luck, a crash, bad positioning, and then of course being able to respond to your rivals. It's not easy having that pressure. When you have that level of focus and concentration, the day goes by a lot faster because you're really in the race, but it also does take its toll.”

"For me it's empowering and motivating to be in the support role. To approach those stages as if I was the team leader — taking care of myself and ensuring I have the sharpness for that day. But in the end you know that it's up to the team leader to finish the job. And if you, as a support rider, have a bit of an off day, it's not the end of the world. So when you are team leader you know that you have to go every bit extra.”

"When you have the leader’s jersey, it's not like you have a connection with it, but you realise how special it is. 
And that helps you get to a different mental state where you're empowered by it and want to hang on to it."

Sepp Kuss — Vuelta a España winner, 2023. A result that completed an unprecedented clean sweep of Grand Tour victories in the same year for Team Jumbo Visma.