Forget the Tour de France. Chris Horner Believes Sepp Kuss Should Target the Giro D’Italia Instead.

Chris Horner, former WorldTour racer who rode professionally between 1996 and 2019, says that if Sepp Kuss, 29, wants back-to-back Grand Tour wins, he should go for the 2024 Giro d’Italia next year. Horner “the Hornet” jokingly became known as “the second best climber in the world,” and won the 2013 Vuelta a España—the last American to do so until this year.

In a conversation with GCN, Horner said, “I don't know who can beat Sepp outside of the top four riders in the world. He’d have to drop Geraint Thomas somewhere, but if I was Ineos I’d be sending Thomas to the Giro because they’re not going to win the Tour unless someone on that team gets better.”

Kuss has certainly proven that he can handle multiple Grand Tour appearances, having completed the triple this year—Giro, Tour de France, and the Vuelta. But while the Giro might be the best move for Kuss, it might not be the best move for Jumbo-Visma. And Kuss is nothing if not a team player.

Horner said, “If I was Sepp, I’d do the Giro. If I was his team I’d hold him back for the Tour…At [Kuss’] age, he almost has to go for leadership again because of his Vuelta win. He’s on the best team in the world and they seem to be able to make riders step up a level. They don’t buy great riders, they make great riders. Kuss wasn’t a Grand Tour winner, now he is.”

Kuss was 14th overall in the Giro this year, and 12th in the Tour de France. But he wasn’t riding for the win, he was riding to help Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard. The Vuelta was the first time we really got to see Kuss’ potential as a leader.

Still, Horner seems to think it’s possible for Kuss to win the Giro and for Jumbo-Visma to solidify the Tour and the Vuelta. And if we’re going to see Kuss fully transition from super domestique to GC leader, Italy seems like the place to continue said transformation.

Horner has quickly become one of Kuss’ biggest fans. When Horner won the Vuelta ten years ago, he was 41-years-old, making him the oldest and only (at the time) American to win the race. He now hosts his own YouTube channel (with quite the following), and has made it clear that he’s rooting for Kuss to stay out front.

You Might Also Like

• The Right Chain Lube Can Save You Thousands

• Everything You Need to Start E-Bike Commuting

• 7 Things You Should Do After Every Rainy Ride