Hundreds of fans welcomed Sepp Kus back to his hometown of Durango, Colorado, to celebrate his Vuelta a España victory, the success of the first North American grand Tour for a decade.

Aptly nicknamed "The Eagle of Durango", the hero's

Kuss's cycling career at Buckley Park with huge crowds gathered to meet, listen to and even ride with Kuss throughout the festive afternoon began the homecoming celebration of Durango Devo, a mountain bike development program that began his journey. Because of the organizers, it was completely in a circle.

Kuss cut his teeth there as a young man on the road before his rise to WorldTour. His success is an inspiration for all young children who came to meet local legends.

"It's definitely surreal," Kus told reporters for the Durango Herald and Durango Cyclery.

"First of all, I did not expect to be in this position. But at the same time, it does not mean that the dream will come true, because it is something that I have never dreamed of and I have never expected.

"During the race, it became more realistic and the prospect of winning the Vuelta became, but I always distance from that thought because a lot can happen

Cuss moved to the red jersey on stage 8 of the Vuelta Thanks to the time gained after his stage Win until 6Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre.

Then he had the painstaking task of holding his team・mates Primoš Logric and Jonas Vingegaard to Madrid as the most pressing threat.

Kuss, after many years of "super domestique" work for the aforementioned Rogliß and Vingegaard, all the pressure placed on him, even from his teammates, to take the Maiden Grand Tour victory

His victory was to complete the historic Grand Tour triple of the Jumbo Visma, and to win the Logliß Grand Tour. It added to the victory of the Tour de France for the second time of the Tour de France with the victory of the Giro d'etalia of the European Cup and the win of the second time of Vingegor.

Kuss was a key part of both teams, completing all three-week tours and winning the first and only rider since Gastone Nencini in 1957.

Hundreds of people were queued to meet Kus in Durango, and photos were signed after the bike parade on Main Avenue. Kusu returned to his roots on a Cerbero Mountain bike, combining red jerseys and jeans with bright running trainers, riding with Durango Debo youth cyclists and the public through town.

"It was really special and I will be a good role model for the community while living abroad and try to be as part of the community as possible," says Kusu, a current Andorra native.

"I have my life there, but I have always felt part of the Durango community."

Kusu was understandably emotional about Liang and hometown with pride throughout the day, surprised by the satisfaction of the whole town and is happy to address the importance of Durango on his rise to the upper echelons of cycling.

"I never expected that level of pride that everyone has shown in Durango," Kus said.

"For me, it was really moving, especially today it was more emotional than crossing the finish line in Madrid.

"I have always been grateful for what brought me through Durango and the fact that it lived here. Thanks to living in Durango, you have so many outdoor opportunities that you already start with the benefits. It's all a really good person and a healthy way to grow up.”