100 stages without a win: America's Tour de France drought continues

The count has reached 100 stages : that's how many have passed since the last time an American rider raised his arms in the Tour de France. An increasingly heavy wait, a losing streak that lengthens race after race, despite the fact that the six stars and stripes athletes competing in this 2026 Tour are certainly not sitting idly by.

The last American to win a stage at the Grande Boucle was Sepp Kuss , way back in 2021. It was the 15th stage, finishing in Andorra la Vella: an elegant and determined solo climb that remains etched in the fans' memories. Five years later, Kuss is still there, on the roads of the Tour, ready to try again. "We're going full steam ahead on every stage, we've accumulated a lot of fatigue—from the speed, from the heat. But as a team, we're doing well. It's never easy to beat an opponent like Pogačar, but we're still in the fight. The toughest stages are yet to come. We'll see," the American told Marca TV .

Kuss isn't alone. Alongside him at Visma-Lease a Bike is Matteo Jorgenson , a versatile rider comfortable in breakaways, though a physical ailment has made his start to the second week uncertain. "There are also many stages suitable for a breakaway, where we could count on Matteo, a rider who knows how to stay in breakaways," Kuss explained. With his stage win at the 2026 Giro d'Italia, the Colorado native has already completed his hat-trick of Grand Tours: now all that's missing is the Grande Boucle.

The other American protagonists of this Tour are Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost), Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM), and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). Six different riders, with different roles and ambitions, but all united by the dream of breaking the curse.