The Sepp Kuss penalty added another blow after his stage 20 near miss at the Tour de France.
Kuss, riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, received sanctions from the race jury after Saturday’s stage between Bourg d’Oisans and Alpe d’Huez. The American was fined a total of 1500 CHF, listed as $1830, for two littering-related infractions.
The jury also docked Kuss 60 seconds on general classification and removed 75 UCI points. The communiqué cited Article 2.12.007-8.3 of the UCI regulations.
That rule covers riders or team staff disposing of waste or objects outside approved litter zones. It also applies when items are not returned to team or organisation staff, not collected by team staff, or thrown at a spectator.
The jury communiqué did not state where the two infringements occurred during the stage.
Sepp Kuss penalty compounds stage 20 frustration
The punishment followed a brutal day for Kuss on one of the Tour’s hardest Alpine stages. The route included more than 5,400 meters of climbing and finished on Alpe d’Huez.
Kuss came close to ending a five-year wait for an American stage winner at the Tour. Instead, two late crashes while leading helped turn a possible victory into third place.
He first went down after misjudging a corner in a tunnel. Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost was chasing hard, about 15 seconds behind, when pressure increased on the descent.
Kuss crashed again on the descent of the Col de Sarenne, 5.5 kilometers from the finish. The second fall looked especially dangerous, as he went into roadside safety netting and nearly went over the mountain-side barrier.
After the stage, Kuss told media he was okay, with “just some scratches.”
He said the day’s effort and the chase behind shaped the mistakes. Kuss explained that he was working for every margin after going all in on the previous climb.
Carapaz passed after the second crash, and Kuss could not regain contact. Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe then overtook Kuss on the final straight, pushing him to third.
Breakaway ride ends short of Tour stage win
Kuss had been one of the strongest riders from the breakaway. The 2023 Vuelta a España winner joined the move over the hors-catégorie Col du Glandon.
He had three Visma-Lease a Bike teammates with him, including fellow American Matteo Jorgenson. The team support helped put Kuss in position deep into the Alpine stage.
Over the Col du Galibier, the highest point of this year’s Tour, Kuss moved clear with Jai Hindley, Juan Ayuso, and Carapaz. Carapaz had already won stage 18 and was again aggressive in the mountains.
On the Col du Sarenne, the decisive climb before the east-side approach to Alpe d’Huez, Kuss attacked twice. Those moves distanced Carapaz, who was wearing the King of the Mountains jersey.
Carapaz stayed close enough to keep pressure on the American. The EF Education-EasyPost rider remained a little more than 100 meters back before the descent changed the race.
Kuss remained gracious despite the disappointment. He said he felt happy to be at the front and close to the stage win.
He also called Carapaz a deserving winner, noting the Ecuadorian had been in the break three straight days. Kuss praised his teammates for their support and belief throughout the stage.
The result left Kuss with visible disappointment, plus the later Sepp Kuss penalty from the jury. His stage 20 ride still showed why he carries the nickname the Eagle of Durango.