Not Near Miss of the Day: How to safely overtake cyclists... while driving a tank; "It was about protecting Sepp": End of Jumbo-Visma civil war as Vingegaard and Roglič work for Kuss (+ Remco wins); Huge sinkhole swallows bike lane + more on the live blog

I can't keep up (and I've already used the 'not another one' GIF)... yet another new release. The poor tech team are going to need to lie down in a dark room this weekend.

> Giant launches "lighter, smoother and more efficient" Defy endurance road bike: first ride

[Luis Angel Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2023]

"Everyone could see it was about protecting Sepp [...] there's a really hard stage Saturday so we have to be careful, we have to keep fighting until Madrid. It's nice to be able to pay him back, to do something for Sepp that he's done for me and Primož. Obviously I wanted to pay him back today and on Saturday, it's a very tough, very long stage so we have to be careful."

Another bike release for a week packed full of them?

> Wilier introduces cheaper versions of Filante aero road bike

[Zac Williams/SWpix.com]

Poor Mick Bennett finally getting some good news to talk about. After a week of responding to critics of his Tour of Britain route and explaining the pretty grim picture of putting a bike race on in Britain at the minute, he's got something more positive...

Speaking to the Radio Cycling podcast, he confirmed "we have applied for those dates" in relation to both the Tour of Britain and Women's Tour in 2024. "We've already got a number of venues that are signed up for it," he added. 

Fingers crossed.

> The Campag Kid on building retro masterpieces, trickle-down tech, and getting hit by a car you helped design on the road.cc Podcast

[Luis Angel Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2023/ASO]

Geraint Thomas has spoken about the Sepp Kuss, Jumbo-Visma situation at the Vuelta. Here's what he told the TV cameras at the start of today's stage...

"Initially I think if it's obvious that the leader from the start is stronger then they should have the opportunity to race for the win. But, looking at this race, looking at yesterday I don't think there is such a big difference. The fact Kuss only got distanced 1km from the top of such a hard climb at the end of such a hard race, I feel like that's slightly different to a big gap.

"There shouldn't be any gifts in a Grand Tour win. It's one thing giving a stage but I don't think just because someone's worked for you for years you need to let them win, but I don't think that's the case anyway. He's good enough to be in the position he's in... and that's the funny thing, they played that card [earlier in the race to get Kuss in the lead], they rode super hard that day to get a gap and now they're changing their mind. 

"I feel for Kuss, he deserves a bit more respect, not necessarily from the riders, from the team. The team should be stronger with that [...] it was three of them, no other tactics came into play. If it was close for the podium, that's pretty much sewn up. Roglič isn't going to win this Vuelta so there was no real need for him to carry on and gain those extra seconds. He still could have won the stage and his position in third is still solid so he could have slowed up a bit."

We'll be back with a fresh pod tonight. Wonder what will be first on the agenda... 🍿 pic.twitter.com/dawmTh4c21

— Watts Occurring (@Watts_Occurring) September 14, 2023

All in their prime, who wins? 

'IT Crowd are upping the pace here on the final climb, Froome looks in trouble, Roglič is dropped... here comes Vingegaard on the attack, Ayoade glued to his back wheel..."

'Ooh maybe I'll check in with the poll to see how... it's... going... ah...'

While the poll results roll in, here are some of your thoughts...

kil0ran: "Kuss treatment is appalling. He clearly had a brief moment where he couldn't follow which subsequently he overcame because he was able to latch on to Landa's wheel. Landa did the job Primoz and Jonas should have done. Given that Bahrain Victorious were on the front for the early ramps — with Kuss right behind once Valter and Van Baarle popped — they effectively kept Sepp in red today, not Jumbo.

"It's a betrayal and brutal shameful behaviour. It's particularly hard to watch because until this race I've been a fan of Primoz and Jonas — even as a G fan I was delighted to see Primoz' redemption at the Giro. I'm not a fan of UAE as a team but I hope they flash some greenwashed green and bring Kuss in to support Pogacar next year. Revenge will be best served on the slopes of L'Alpe and Stelvio."

Tell us how you really feel!

henryb: "Roglič and Vingegaard saying that they 'want' Kuss to win the Vuelta is a bit disingenuous when it is in fact their choice whether they give him the support he needs (and which every Grand Tour winner needs) to win. If Kuss doesn't win the Vuelta, how hollow it will sound when Roglič or Vingegaard say: 'Well, we wanted him to win, we really did...'."

A ray of hope from Rendel Harris? "I am possibly being naive here, but isn't it feasible that Jumbo Visma are playing a more subtle game than they are being given credit for, bringing their two superstars up as close to Kuss as they possibly can without overtaking him so that if he cracks today either Roglič or Vinegaard will be as far as possible ahead of potential challengers, and to keep them away from the JV podium shutout?

"If Vinegaard really had designs on the jersey why would he not have gone full gas in the final yesterday when on current form he could've easily picked up the nine seconds needed for it, especially if he had outsprinted Roglic for the ten seconds line bonus instead of the six he got?

"Like the majority of fans, I would love to see Kuss take a GT and I will be as loud as anybody in my condemnation of his teammates if they do the dirty on him, but until I see one of them deliberately seize the jersey, rather than putting more time into their rivals lower down the rankings without displacing Kuss, I'm going to withhold judgement.

"Of course, depending on what happens today, this comment may age very badly!"

The fallout from the Angliru stage rumbles on this morning, seemingly most of the cycling world despairing for Sepp Kuss' slip backwards towards, not rival teams baying for blood but instead... his own teammates... on his birthday too.

As we included in yesterday's post-stage live blog debrief, both Primoz Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard have said they want Kuss to win the Vuelta. Those comments coming not long after they had left him in the final stretches of the climb, rather than offering support like the American has to them on countless occasions. And while, yes, Kuss had told them to go, the images haven't sat well with many cycling fans and former pro riders...

David Millar said: "I just don't understand why they wouldn't wait. I've watched Sepp ride for them countless times while commentating these past years, I'm a huge fan of his. He's class. I didn't enjoy watching that today, and I love bike racing."

Honest question. Do you want the weakest of the three to win? Is it not elite sports? I understand the feelings behind your statement, but to me that is just turning the race into a reality show where the winner is chosen based on past merits.

— FAUSTO (@Faust0w) September 13, 2023

 "In Grand Tours the leaders rely on their team mates to get them through the days they're weak," Millar replied. "That's Sepp's job. Tables have turned here. I like the idea that sport isn't all rational number crunching, that occasionally emotional decisions win over. They're the greatest stories, and the reason sport can be so life affirming. Today was not life-affirming, it was quite miserable in fact, when it so easily could have been wonderful."

This was the post-stage discussion on GCN, Sean Kelly saying he thinks it's "unfair":

"I think it's unfair. The way Kuss has been so loyal to those two riders over many years."

The Breakaway crew discuss a dramatic stage for Jumbo–Visma's riders 🗣#LaVuelta23 | @SportsOrla | @AdamBlythe89 | @SeanKellyCC | @daniellloyd1 pic.twitter.com/ivLAgzQjcj

— Eurosport (@eurosport) September 13, 2023

 Anyone got a case for the defence?

End of the day, the debate about whether Roglic or Vingegaard should win the Vuelta GC rather than Kuss comes down to whether one thinks that, in sport, winning is the only thing that matters versus how one views concepts like sportsmanship, reward, and loyalty #LaVuelta23 pic.twitter.com/qi6m5wsotN

— Neal Rogers 🇺🇦 (@nealrogers) September 13, 2023

Unpopular take incoming: what makes Sepp such an exceptional domestique is the very reason he could lose red to a team mate. His smiles post-stage seemed genuine. It takes a ruthless hunger to win a Grand Tour. Is it the others’ fault, or even his, if he doesn’t have that? 🫣

— Orla Chennaoui (@SportsOrla) September 13, 2023

With another big mountain stage, the last challenging one before Madrid (after this we've got two sprints and a relentlessly punchy medium mountain 208km world champs-style stage) today could be decisive... I'd love to know what the rest of Jumbo's domestiques and staff think about the whole situation...

Anyway, get your thoughts in the comments. Are we all far too romantic? Should Jumbo-Visma let their best man win? Do you want to see Roglič and Vingegaard let one of their most reliable teammates have his day in the sun?