Sepp Kuss hit with big fine, time loss and points deduction for littering at Tour de France - Cyclingnews

What the report says

Cyclingnews.com reported that American rider Sepp Kuss received a substantial post-stage penalty at the Tour de France after race officials cited him for littering twice during stage 20. According to the report, the Visma-Lease a Bike climber was fined a combined 1,500 Swiss francs, lost one minute on general classification and was docked UCI ranking points following the jury’s decision.

The penalties were issued under UCI regulation Article 1.12.007-8.3, which covers riders or staff disposing of waste or objects outside approved zones, failing to hand them back to team or race staff, failing to have them collected, or throwing them toward spectators. Cyclingnews said the jury report listed two separate infringements: the first brought a 500CHF fine and 25-point deduction, while the second led to a 1,000CHF fine, a further points penalty and a 60-second time sanction.

The punishment came after a dramatic day for Kuss on the road to Alpe d’Huez. Cyclingnews reported that he attacked on the Col de Sarenne and held a solo lead with less than 20 kilometres remaining, but crashed twice on descents in the closing kilometres. He still finished third on the stage and was later named the day’s most combative rider.

Cyclingnews said the one-minute loss did not meaningfully change Kuss’ final Tour position, with the rider still set to finish 13th after moving up from 15th on the stage. The UCI points deduction also affects team rankings, though the outlet characterized the sporting impact as limited.