Histrionic, powerful, sometimes “bearded”, surprising. We are talking about quinn simmons, American rider of the Trek-SegafredoAn image of him we'll probably never forget dates back to this spring. And speaking of spring in that climate is a big word.
We were in the freezing cold of Carpegna, at Tirreno, and before the second climb to Cippo, Quinn, fighting for the GPM jersey, once caught and detached from pogacar and the other big names, he had stopped to put on his leggings and a long shirt. This is just to frame the character!
That same day, while we were interviewing him behind the stage, the band started up a meter away from us. It was a hellish din. He imitated the trumpet gesture.
De Jongh speaks
But beyond the memories, who really is this boy from Colorado, born in 2001? To make us a Simmons' technical identikit is Steven De Jongh, sports director of Trek-Segafredo and Simmons' trainer.
"I've been working with Simmons since 2019," says De Jongh. "A colleague of mine who had been following him before recommended him to me, and then it was my turn. He immediately won three races and the overall classification in a stage race in the junior ranks. What he achieved that season was incredible. He won the junior world title in Harrogate at the end of the season».
At that point, Trek-Segafredo secured the boy. The start was good, but it was also 2020... the year of the pandemic. So everything was postponed until the summer. And that summer, Simmons almost pulled off a big hit. Attila Valter, in his Hungary, to take away the joy of his first victory as a pro.
Classic and more
Quinn is a "big guy," but he's also strong on climbs: what kind of rider is he? Today, we see these youngsters winning everywhere. Can Simmons do the same?
«Well – continues De Jongh – for me Quinn still has to find out. That it is suitable for one-day races, I think is certain. But I see it more for an Amstel than for a Flanders or a Roubaix, because it can make a better difference on the climbs than on the cobbles.
«But I repeat, he's young and can still improve. Maybe in week-long stage races, it could play an important role, but in that case it should start again work on the stopwatch».
The culture of work
But it's not just Mother Nature who has had a hand in it. Simmons's success is also thanks to his dedication. De Jongh tells us about a young man who makes hard work one of his strengths.
"Quinn," says the Dutch coach, "really enjoys training and working hard. Like everyone else, he's a great player." He prefers endurance work to short, intense work, because it's damn hard!
I think he's made a really big step forward this year. He's also taking some time off now, in preparation for the end of the season. He's been really hard at work in recent years. He's put in a lot of hours of work, and perhaps that's why he's sometimes lost his freshness. But his work ethic is really good."
And this culture of commitment is particularly appreciated by De Jongh. "I like his mentality because if he has something in mind, he really does it. When Quinn wants to reach something, he points and reaches for it. One of his goals is to grow gradually and he has demonstrated this since last year."
At Cahors at the Tour, Simmons earned the red number for most combative The American entered five breakaways, more than he had attempted at the last Tour.
At Cahors at the Tour, Simmons earned the red number for most combative The American entered five breakaways, more than he had attempted at the last Tour.
From Tour to gravel
This growth has taken him from victories such as the 2021 Tour de Wallonie, certainly important but not top-notch, to excelling also on top-notch stages, such as the winning the best climber's jersey at Tirreno or be a brilliant protagonist of the Tour de France.
"In fact," De Jongh continued, "we expected Quinn to go strong in France. Last year he showed he was at a good level in the Vuelta (his first major Tour, ed.), and so we prepared well for the Tour. The focus was mainly on the second part (second and third week, ed.), to be competitive when there were breakaways.
"Of course, being in the breakaway so many times, I think it was a bit unexpected for him too. But he was recovering well and every day he had the legs to get in and try. It was nice to see him like that."
After recovering from the Tour, Simmons will take part in the American races. He'll start in Europe, however, in Denmark, then race in Maryland, complete the two Canadian races (Quebec and Montreal), and then return to Europe for the final block of races: the Binck Bank Tour, Paris-Tours, and so on.
«And perhaps – concludes De Jongh – will close the season in Italy with the gravel race in October».
And how could Simmons lack a bit of true "made in USA"? He hails from Durango, one of the cradles of mountain biking, and is also a great former mountain biker... gravel is his natural terrain!
