For a top WorldTour climber like Sepp Kuss, all approach roads eventually lead to the Tour de France, but even after three successful participations for himself and his team, the Jumbo-Visma climber is not averse to switching things around in the long build-up to July.
This year the Jumbo-Visma mountain specialist has opted to revert to his 2021 program of kicking things off at the 2023 UAE Tour, then going onto the Volta a Catalunya and Tour de Romandie. A notably less intense spring program than what he did in the early months of 2022, which began with the Faun-Ardèche one-day race in France, then rolled on to Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, Itzulia Basque Country and Liège-Bastone-Liège.
Eleventh at Jebel Hafeet and seventh at Jebel Jais in 2021, the two key UAE challenges for a climber, Kuss recognised that Hafeet will once again be a test on Sunday. But in any case, he knows that taking his time for the summer is critical, even in February.
"I think this one is more or less the schedule that works the best for me, with lots of rest between races," Kuss told Cyclingnews at the stage 5 start of the UAE Tour.
"I did more in the spring last year, but while I need the racing I don't necessarily get better from it. So it's about finding the right balance."
In terms of how things are working out at UAE and despite a crash on stage 1, Kuss said that "so far, it's been pretty good."
"I really like the hot weather like here, for me the warmer the better, so for me this is perfect."
"It's not the hardest race if you compare to Ruta del Sol or Valenciana but I think at this time of year, they're maybe too hard for me. It's more about getting into a good rhythm, getting into the feel of the racing again. I haven't raced in a while, so that's good."
For points of reference in terms of form, Jebel Jais is not ideal, being so long and steady. Unless there are mass attacks, the peloton tends to ride up the climbing virtually as a single unit, as happened on Wednesday, winner Einer Rubio (Movistar) being the honourable exception. But Jebel Hafeet is another story, Kuss said, "more of a proper climb."
"The other day on Jebel Jais there was quite a bit of wind, so it ended up with almost a group sprint. But Jebel Hafeet is more of a proper climb, it still could be a bit of a sprint in the end, but either way, it's pretty good for me, definitely."
The Volta a Catalunya is where Kuss will be stepping up a notch, and he is, he says "definitely feeling motivated for that."
"Catalunya is my home race" - he and his family are based in neighbouring Andorra while in Europe - "and it's one I like. I hope to do well there, though I don't really need to be firing on all cylinders til late May. The Tour and the Vuelta - there's quite a bit to go."
Kuss' decision to repeat his double Grand Tour program is still not set in stone. It's only after the Tour that the Vuelta will be 100% confirmed. But unlike the first half of the year, he's keen for a re-run of the same GT combination of the last three years.
"I think so, you never know what can happen with the Vuelta and the Tour, but as it is now that's kind of the direction. We'll see how it works out."
For now, in any case, there is the 10-kilometre ascent of Jebel Hafeet to get through on Sunday, and Kuss is experienced enough to know that in road racing the wisest approach is to take things one pedal stroke at a time.
