There are still plenty of stages and days left in the 2026 Tour de France, but Durango’s Sepp Kuss and the rest of the Visma-Lease a Bike squad got off to a great start at one of the world’s most famous races.
The Tour started this year in Spain with a team time trial, and Visma was victorious at the 19.6-kilometer team trial course in Barcelona on Saturday. Visma won in 21 minutes and 47.870 seconds. Netcompany INEOS finished second in 21:55.190 and UAE Team Emirates – XRG, which Tour favorite Tadej Pogačar rides for, finished third in 21:59.150.
Jonas Vingegaard claimed the yellow jersey as the team leader of the winning team.
“It’s the perfect start to this Tour,” Vingegaard said in a Visma press release. “My teammates were incredibly strong today, which allowed me to begin the final climb in an excellent position. Everyone gave everything for me. This victory and this yellow jersey belong to the whole team.”
The team time trial in Barcelona was mostly flat through the city center, but it contained two tough climbs at the end. Visma was the second-to-last team to roll off the start line, with Netcompany INEOS having the time to beat. Netcompany INEOS and Lidl-Trek’s intermediate times were solid, but Visma extended its gap at the end of the time trial as Vingegaard surged to the finish solo.
Kuss was riding again in support of Vingegaard, letting the team leader save some energy before Kuss pulled off the group.
Fellow Durangoan Quinn Simmons and Lidl-Trek, the team he rides for, finished fourth in the team time trial in 22:03.140.
The riders started Stage 2 on Sunday in Tarragona, Spain, and rode 168.5 km to Barcelona on a hilly stage that had 8,202 feet of climbing and four categorized climbs.
A group of three riders formed a breakaway that had a 2:30 lead on the peloton at one point. But the peloton with all the lead riders and team eventually caught that group with about 28 km left in the stage.
The peloton stayed together as Vingegaard and Pogačar were near the front, holding their positions. The stage ended in a sprint for the win with Vingegaard, Pogačar and Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates – XRG teammate, Isaac Del Toro, had just enough left to cross the finish line in first in 3:40:01, with Pogačar finishing second and Vingegaard in fourth with the same time.
“This isn’t my favorite circuit, but I think I can be happy that I’ve kept the yellow jersey,” said Vingegaard in a Visma press release. “So far, things are going well and I’ve got nothing to complain about. I’m really trying to enjoy the yellow jersey and that’s what I did today.”
Kuss finished in 52nd, 6:52 behind the leaders, and Simmons was 153rd, 13:56 behind the leaders.
Vingegaard holds the GC lead by six seconds over Pogačar. Monday’s Stage 3 is a 195.9 km mountainous trek from Granollers to Les Angles.