Jumbo-Visma director says Roglič had a 'more difficult time' committing to Kuss' Vuelta ambitions

Jumbo-Visma sports director Merijn Zeeman has said that Primož Roglič, Jonas Vingegaard and Sepp Kuss should have worked together on the Angliru stage of the recent Vuelta a España, rather than dropping race leader Kuss on the punishing climb.

Speaking to the WielerFlits podcast, Zeeman offered a reflection on the day that, although now over a month ago, sparked much debate and controversy in the cycling world as the red jersey saw his lead in jeopardy due to the actions of his own teammates.

Read more: Analysis: Hierarchies become clear as Jumbo-Visma drop Sepp Kuss on the Angliru

The stage saw Giro d’Italia and Tour de France winners Roglič and Vingegaard ride away from a slightly struggling Kuss on the upper slopes of the Angliru, after already dropping all of their competitors. Roglič won the stage, and the pair put a 19-second gap into their teammate at the finish, cutting his overall lead to an uncomfortable eight seconds and calling into question the duo’s commitment to the red jersey.

“Everything that had happened up to that point was teamwork, but on the Angliru they should have stayed together,” Zeeman told WielerFlits. “Attacking to get other riders to work is something different than attacking each other.

"We must say, though: you’re climbing on gradients of 20%. You race with a heart rate of 200. You cannot expect those men to think clearly [in those moments].”

Part of the controversy around the day on the Angliru was the team’s subsequent handling of it, with a lack of a united communication about whether Kuss had given his teammates the go-ahead to attack, and whether Jumbo-Visma were truly supporting the American’s pursuit of red, or allowing others to go for their own victory.

Read more: 'What a load of baloney' - Sean Kelly lambasts Roglič and Vingegaard for dropping Sepp Kuss

Though both Vingegaard and Roglič dropped Kuss on that day – and Vingegaard on other occasions, too – Zeeman revealed that it was Roglič, a three-time winner of the Vuelta, who had the most difficulty giving up his own ambitions.

“I got eight grown men together and said, ‘guys, this is what happened today. I have my thoughts on this, but I think it's much more important what you think’,” Zeeman said, recounting the team meeting after the Angliru stage. “‘What do we stand for now? Who are we actually?’

“Seven riders unanimously agreed: [Kuss winning] must be the final result. Primož had a more difficult time with this, but he conformed to the group. This was also because his teammates stated this so forcefully. He finally said: ‘Sepp must win and you can count on me’.”

Eventually, of course, Kuss did win, but the fall-out from the controversy at the Vuelta has continued to rumble on. Roglič has since confirmed his departure from the team, joining Bora-Hansgrohe for a chance at sole leadership in a move that, whilst reportedly in the works before the Vuelta, was perhaps cemented by the events in Spain.

Kuss, who remained a steadfastly balanced and non-critical teammate throughout the race, was positive about Roglič moving away from Jumbo-Visma.

“I think it's better for everybody that he is on a different team,” he recently told the media. “Now he can go to a team and feel that support that he feels that he deserves and has everyone behind him.”

Read more: Sepp Kuss: I think it's better for everybody that Roglič is on a different team