Sepp Kuss Got a Hero’s Welcome in His Hometown of Durango, Colorado to Celebrate His Vuelta Win

Durango, Colorado turned out for “GC Kuss” Thursday afternoon, with a speech from the 2023 Vuelta a España winner, a question and answer session, a bike parade, and an all out party for the hometown hero.

The Durango Herald estimated that at least 2,225 people were in attendance at Buckley Park ahead of the bike parade, and that fans traveled from as far as Houston, Texas just for the celebration. Durango community events administrator Ellen Babers said that there were so many cyclists participating in the bike parade, which made a small loop around town, that Babers and her colleagues were worried the front of the parade would get back to the park before the back of the parade had left.

Legendary cycling announcer Dave Towle facilitated the question/answer session, bringing lots of characters from Kuss’ past up on stage. Mayor Melissa Youssef read a letter congratulating Kuss from Governor Jared Polis. Part of the letter said, “Your humility, outstanding character and championship spirit have brought the Colorado cycling community together and brought great joy to both the city of Durango and the state of Colorado. We all share in Sepp’s victory.”

Kuss dawned his red Vuelta winner’s jersey for the event, but substituted a pair of blue jeans instead of his racing bibs. After the parade, Kuss signed autographs on helmets, posters, t-shirts, and even a baby.

While Kuss lives full time in Andorra, he still credits his upbringing in Durango, and his participation in Durango Devo for his career and his success saying, “Just by living in Durango you have an advantage because you have so many outdoor opportunities. The community is so ingrained in the outdoors.”

Many of Kuss’ former teammates and friends are currently in Bentonville, Arkansas for the final race of the Lifetime Grand Prix. A testament to how cycling really is a way of life for many people in Durango. They will, no doubt, all catch up after the dust has settled this weekend on the U.S. racing season.

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