GUADARRAMA, SPAIN • Sepp Kuss arrived at the Spanish Vuelta tasked once more with helping to shepherd some of the top stars in cycling over the mountains and put them in a position to win the prestigious race.

Twenty racing days later, Kuss was being congratulated by his teammates on Saturday for having virtually locked up the first Grand Tour title for an American man in a decade.

Kuss crossed the finish line of the 20th and penultimate stage flanked by Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time defending Tour de France winner, and Primoz Roglic, who was aiming to match a record with a fourth Vuelta title.

His illustrious Jumbo-Visma teammates locked arms with Kuss and gently pedaled over the final meters.