Vuelta a España 2023: Stage 18 Extended Highlights | Cycling on NBC Sports

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Am not 😔

I'd think "works well with teammates" would always ALWAYS be a worthy achievement in any team sport. And when a team refuses to punish a selfish teammate, this speaks SO LITTLE of the team's future. Back in 1985, it was Hinault and LeMond.

Thanks for the extended highlights - appreciate the spoiler free thumbnails and quality commentary!

You know why they call him Led Sepplin?

Because he ROCKS!!

I enjoyed the photography. I wonder how many aerial shots are drone now as opposed to helicopter.

All is right again;;; 🇺🇸

Kuss smiling all the way through that last windup to the line

Sepp is to nice why he apologizing, they should be apologizing to him for trying to burn him.

How on earth did commentators pet “give away” the race? They make it sound like he had no interest in winning. Commentary content and biases leaves much to be desired. Hopefully future brings improvement.

So nice to see an American step up again in major races, and I can't imagine a better representative for us to have. Humble, hard working, personable, and supports his team. He's been very instrumental in some big wins by others.
If he wins the Vuelta it's going to be a great thing for US cycling.
Good luck Sepp!!

FINALLY, good to see Jumbo finally riding for their Red Jersey super domestique Sepp! It's about time!

Stepping back to let a teammate win a stage is one thing, I don't like the idea of stepping back for a teammate to win a classic though. This is a rare case I guess where the only challenger is other teammates. If Remco were still a threat I'd highly doubt anyone with a brain would tell JV and Roglic to hold back at any point.

The apparent humility shown by Sepp when he apologized for putting a few seconds into Jonas is wholesome! Especially after Jonas put more than a few seconds into him on Stage 16, when TJV already had the podium locked out. (I'm overlooking Stage 13 because TJV hadn't yet claimed the GC 1-2-3 and, with hindsight, it felt like it was the last real day on TJV to figure out who to support going forward.)

Of course, some credit if and where it's due... If Jonas stuck to (and notably, I don't think he ever pulled for) "Race & See" Roglic in Stage 17 to prevent Sepp's doors getting blown off and keeping Roglic in line by not allowing him to take red and making sure TJV had a clear 2nd leader for GC if anything happened to Sepp between now and Madrid, then 'chapeau' to him for returning one of the many favors Sepp has given TJV in the past.

That said, I'm no pro or DS, so what do I know? Only that, after a shambles of an opening (that team TT...), this year's Vuelta has increasingly shaped up to be exciting! But more than anything, I hope that TJV's coherence as a team is less strained than us commenters are making it out to be because I've loved watching such a force of nature power its way through all of this year's Grand Tours!

Allez Sepp & TJV!

The Durango Kid..actually, one tough hombre..no longer a ..kid..ride on, Sepp we have enormous respect and admiration for what you are accomplishing in the Vuelta..

Not a done deal yet but I wouldn't be surprised if TJVs DS took notice what people said on social media and he realized he actually needs to manage the team. We'll see...

"No gifts asked for, none given."

Charity race

Kuss being gifted a major tour win with the commentators arguing that it is somehow owed him. That probably makes sense through American lenses. Bizarre precedent if a 3 minute gain by a domestique in an early stage of is dictating how team ride their tours. Vingegaard could easily have taken the red jersey after starting the Vuelta with stomach issues without the team helping him. Very true that this Vuelta wasn't going to be decided by seconds. I was decided by Jumbo Visma as a PR stunt and with complete disregard for racing is supposed to be about.

Primos was my favorite.....not anymore!! KUS is mine now!
Shame on you JV!!

Looks like the 'dog eats dog' mentality got reigned back in and teamwork rose back to the top... where it belongs

I hope that there was some sort of deal that was made so that JV and PR were 'allowed' to go ahead yesterday. Otherwise, I hope they got their asses shamed hard for pulling what appeared to be a very garbage move yesterday. Good to see them working for Sepp for the first time in, what, 3 years?

their all tired.

I really hope Jumbo releases a Vuelta documentary. I would love more than anything to get the unbridled truth. They disrespected Sepp so bad, and i need a doc where they own that and really give Sepp his flowers

Keep at it Jeff, buena suerte.

Props to JV and PR for being good teammates today. If Sepp closes out with a grand tour win, this sets up TJV to keep him (spread some love) and take the Giro and Le Tour with him back as domestique.

Great to see Jonas on Mic saying, “Sepp I got you, slow down and I’ll get you there” and Sepp sitting up and grabbing Jonas Wheel. Awesome.

Jonas must have gotten the memo....

Thanks for the coverage, boys ❤

Thank you

Kuss is a class act and needs a way classier team...JMO...!

I only tune in for Bob's announcing! I miss Bobke TV maybe next year he can do a behind the scenes with the announcers.

Star name in the Vuelta this year is 'Sean Weetabix ' - definite sponsorship deal;

Why chase Ayuso to the line when he is 4min down?

What language is that one guy speaking? Some of the words sound familiar but many seem to be short by one or two letters.

So much drama has been made about TJV tactics, and yet if you listen to Sepp, it is as he says. JV & PR (& others) did miles and miles of pulling Sepp in the red jersey in spite of being the team leader. Sepp didn’t begrudge the fact that JV got sick earlier, which realistically is the only reason he has the jersey.

And today, JV was the diesel that pulled Sepp along when others were attacking. Inside of the last K, there was one last attack. JV realized he didn’t have the legs anymore, and signaled for Sepp to attack. A champion domestique. Well played by the entire team.

I cannot believe that Sepp waited up for Jonas when he radioed for him to slow down, after the past two days of Jonas riding like a petulant child. I would have dropped him without a thought! But Sepp has a bigger heart than I do. And to apologize for dropping Jonas right after finishing? I don’t think he needed to apologize for anything. Just say “how’d you like that?” 😊

Watch out the Euros will flick him 😊

well, i was right. Team strategy was clear. Stage 16 was for JV to attack (since he was 3rd) and the other 2 to respond to counterattacks. Stage 17 was for Roglic (since he was now third). And today's stage 18 was for Kuss which other two respected. I would have done the same strategy if i was the team's DS

See… Good things do happen to nice guys! No one deserves red more than Sepp!!! Extremely proud of management, and the whole team. Their stock went up a “bunch” today!!! Their hearts and brains are as good as their legs!

“No gifts to kuss” roll says.
Baloney.
Vingegaard could have won vuelta today. But held back. A gift

Jumbo backtracks and caves to bad publicity. Ugh
The policy was best rider wins. Jumbo gives up that philosophy today

All this talk about nothing is given. Roll & Christian have no idea what the team dynamics are. Obviously, JV and PR finally felt the pressure of other cyclists’s comments and decided to help Kuss. But don’t get it twisted, JV could have taken this today. Fortunately for Kuss, the Vuelta places the individual time trial much earlier in the race. If it was placed near the end like the TDF, don’t think JV would be so accommodating. Kuss needs to lead his own team and make that no.1 money.

Go Sepp!!!

Kudos to Bob and Christian on the excellent commentary!

I’m glad to see Jumbo behaving as a team, bravo👏 👏 👏

🎉❤😊bicycle 🚵‍♂️nice great views. 😂

Riders on a DIFFERENT team riding in support of and giving Sepp Kuss the win = a GIFT

Riders on the SAME team riding in support of and giving Sepp Kuss the win = TEAMWORK

PR and JV, your choice is: help Sepp and be magnanimous, or attack Sepp and be pusillanimous.

GO SEPPY, GO!!!

Outstanding! Thanks

Turning a defending champion of the previous year into a breakaway contender in Remco that reflects how strong of a team Jumbo Visma was.