Tour de France 2024: Sepp Kuss ruled out with Covid 19 in blow to Visma-Lease a Bike, Jonas Vingegaard
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Published 25/06/2024 at 12:33 GMT
Sepp Kuss has been ruled out of the 2024 Tour de France after not sufficiently recovering from Covid-19, Visma-Lease a Bike announced on Tuesday. Sporting director Merijn Zeemans said: "His contribution is always very important in the team, but then of course he has to be completely fit." Dutchman Barte Lemmens will replace the American and make his Tour debut.
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Sepp Kuss has been ruled out of the 2024 Tour de France after Visma-Lease a Bike announced on Tuesday that he has not fully recovered from Covid-19, and that Bart Lemmen will replace the American.
Kuss, who won last year's Vuelta a Espana, was announced in Visma's team for the Tour last week as part of the team aiming to assist Jonas Vingegaard to a third successive victory.
The 29-year-old has been Vingegaard's most important domestique in the previous two Tour wins, as well as helping him to two second-place finishes in the years prior.
Visma sporting director Merijn Zeemans said: "This is of course very hard for Sepp in the first place. His contribution is always very important in the team, but then of course he has to be completely fit.
"Unfortunately, we had to conclude together today that this is insufficiently the case, after Covid. He now needs to recover properly and will therefore not start. Fortunately, we have a good replacement ready with Bart Lemmen."
This year will be 28-year-old Lemmen's Tour debut having only turned pro at 27. The Dutchman joined Visma in January this year and recently finished second in the overall classification of the Tour of Norway.
Zeeman added: "Despite only being a professional for 1.5 years, Bart is already proving to be a very reliable and strong rider. He learns quickly and proved it this year with several good classifications.
"He is a good climber, and he willingly sacrifices himself for his leader Jonas Vingegaard. I have a lot of confidence in Bart."
The Dutchman will be joined by Matteo Jorgenson, Wilco Kelderman, Wout van Aert, Christophe Laporte, Tiesj Benoot, Jan Tratnik and GC leader Vingegaard.
Vingegaard’s own participation had been in doubt after he suffered a punctured lung and a broken collarbone in a crash at Itzulia Basque Country in April, but last week's announcement put those worries to rest. Kuss' absence, however, threatens to be a big setback for the team.
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