{"id":31043,"date":"2023-10-20T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/over-2000-attend-sepp-kuss-homecoming-in-downtown-durango\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:33:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:33:22","slug":"over-2000-attend-sepp-kuss-homecoming-in-downtown-durango","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/over-2000-attend-sepp-kuss-homecoming-in-downtown-durango\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 2,000 attend Sepp Kuss homecoming in downtown Durango"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=c75bd653-f5bc-5f14-bbb9-f7b9d6aea41f&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1126\" alt=\"About 2,225 people were gathered at Buckley Park ahead of a bike parade on Thursday. Some traveled to Durango from as far as Houston to celebrate Durango native and professional cyclist Sepp Kuss\u2019s victory in the 2023 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a. (Christian Burney\/Durango Herald)\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">About 2,225 people were gathered at Buckley Park ahead of a bike parade on Thursday. Some traveled to Durango from as far as Houston to celebrate Durango native and professional cyclist Sepp Kuss\u2019s victory in the 2023 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a. (Christian Burney\/Durango Herald)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>A mass of cyclists and spectators descended on Buckley Park Thursday for a homecoming celebration for professional cyclist and 2023 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a champion Sepp Kuss.<\/p>\n<p>Durango community events administrator Ellen Babers said there were about 2,225 people at the park before a bike parade began that afternoon, and more people were still pouring in. The parade went down Main Avenue, took a left at Fifth Street to East Second Avenue and looped back around to Buckley Park.<\/p>\n<p>So many cyclists participated that Babers and her colleagues were worried the front of the parade would reach the park before the back of the parade had left, but the parade concluded without issue.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=371eaafc-868f-556d-92c8-6c5c8e4c8d26&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" alt=\"Sepp Kuss leads the Sepp Kuss homecoming celebration parade on Thursday on Main Avenue in Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Sepp Kuss leads the Sepp Kuss homecoming celebration parade on Thursday on Main Avenue in Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>People queued for autographs of Kuss. There was a line stretching out of Buckley Park and north down Main Avenue toward 14th Street.<\/p>\n<p>Catherine Bower, who moved to Durango from Philadelphia in December 2022, said it was great to see the community turn out for Kuss.<\/p>\n<p>She has been cycling 10 years and her friends know Durango is Kuss\u2019s hometown, so it\u2019s nice to \u201crub it in\u201d a bit, she said.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=21577e7b-af80-5266-a735-0e872691c3b7&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" alt=\"Sepp Kuss signs autographs during the Sepp Kuss homecoming celebration on Thursday on Main Avenue in Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Sepp Kuss signs autographs during the Sepp Kuss homecoming celebration on Thursday on Main Avenue in Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s just really great to see everybody come out. It really showcases how special this place is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Melissa Youssef read a letter congratulating Kuss from Gov. Jared Polis, and said the next world cycling champion could be someone in the crowd at Buckley Park that afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Youssef said Polis congratulates Kuss \u201cprofusely\u201d in his letter, saying Kuss is an inspiration to Coloradans and that he highlights the state\u2019s \u201cexceptional\u201d cycling community.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video wp-block-embed-youtube naviga-video-embed\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lbcZg-SbWdA\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Reading Polis\u2019s letter, Youssef said, \u201cHe goes on to state, \u2018Your humility, outstanding character and championship spirit have brought the Colorado cycling community together and brought great joy to both the city of Durango and the state of Colorado. We all share in Sepp\u2019s victory. Signed sincerely, Jared Polis, governor of the state of Colorado.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Durango Devo executive director Levi Kurlander said the cycling nonprofit changed the trajectory of his life in 2007, the year he met Kuss.<\/p>\n<p>He said his mission with Durango Devo isn\u2019t to develop Durango\u2019s next successful racer, but to develop healthy people with an emphasis on supporting the community and other people.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=578ac471-f653-51cc-94e3-7da6b2ecb4ed&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" alt=\"Sepp Kuss leads the Sepp Kuss homecoming celebration parade on Thursday on Main Avenue in Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Sepp Kuss leads the Sepp Kuss homecoming celebration parade on Thursday on Main Avenue in Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>\u201cHow do you support your teammates? How do you support your friends and how do you support your community? Those are the real things that we value,\u201d he said. \u201cWe value healthy development in all of our young riders. Not just physical abilities, but we try to develop the kind of grit and determination, discipline, that will serve them in all aspects of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kurlander said Kuss wholeheartedly embodies those values.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s about building your confidence, creating friendships and most importantly, having fun,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=18e5f303-d1d8-566a-9de5-3c536a167f7c&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" alt=\"The Sepp Kuss homecoming celebration on Thursday at Buckley Park. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">The Sepp Kuss homecoming celebration on Thursday at Buckley Park. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>Houston man Bill Vedder said he knew nothing of Kuss until he and his wife watched Kuss in the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew nothing about his Durango days,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything I learned was from watching the tour and saying, \u2018Hey, here\u2019s an American I can root for. Finally.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said watching Kuss on television and the drama unfolding was incredible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I found out that he was having a day here, \u2018Honey, we\u2019re packing up the car, we\u2019re headed to Durango, Colorado,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><em id=\"emphasis-1524871ceb371e8961b93f3bff4f2139\"><a href=\"mailto:cburney@durangoherald.com\">cburney@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video wp-block-embed-youtube naviga-video-embed\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FL8u0gdcyl4\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>held at Buckley Park to celebrate star cyclist, who also signed autographs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[364,657,950,510,28,1408],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-31043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-community","tag-cycling","tag-durango","tag-festive-event-including-carnival","tag-headlines","tag-parade"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31043"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81298,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31043\/revisions\/81298"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31043"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=31043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}