"But hey... If Quinn Simmons says so.." - Tim Wellens hits back at American's bike drafting controversy
Cycling
The Tour de France is the race where the stakes are at their very highest throughout the year and everyone wants to win or take strong results. Hence, on stage 15, one where the breakaway succeeded, there were a lot of disappointed faces in Carcassonne - top riders who made the effort but didn't come out with a win. However, Quinn Simmons particularly hinted at Tim Wellens benefiting massively from motorbikes to take his stage win, and the Belgian didn't stay silent on the matter.
Wellens attacked outside the final 40 kilometers on the day on the final uphill sections that the riders would find, creating a gap to the chasing group which then grew all the way to the line and eventually resulted in another stage win for UAE Team Emirates - XRG. There were many congratulations at the finish line but not everyone was happy with how Wellens got his win. Lidl-Trek's Quinn Simmons directly accused the Belgian of benefiting from the motorbikes' draft.
"The strongest guy and the best moment with the moto. Did you not watch the coverage?" the American champion said in words to ITV. "I think... It is what it is, we've seen this a few times at the Tour, you know how that's going to be. Some days you take advantage, others someone else does".
Whilst there certainly exists benefit to some riders on occasions over the presence of vehicles on the road, the interview didn't come off in the most positive way towards some and eventually those statements got to the stage winner who was asked about his opinion.
"He could have attacked first himself. I don't think I got much help from the bikes, but hey... If Quinn Simmons says so..." Wellens said in the Vive le Vélo show. Certainly UAE Team Emirates - XRG are in the spotlight, carrying the yellow jersey into the final week but simultaneously also having Tadej Pogacar's comments on Visma's tactics noticed and talked about quite a lot.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Love this guy. He is such a pure racer.mij07-11-2026
- Fair enough. Everyone’s entitled to one and I respect yours! Nothing wrong with being a one week and GT guy if that’s his vibemij07-11-2026
- LOL...it's a predetermined finish ! N one is 'clashing' at these exhibition crits!frieders307-11-2026
- Surely the UCI and the race organisers have a responsibility to ensure the best medical care is available to riders when incidents like this happen. All very well pushing for global expansion but not so good if riders lives are put at risk because medical support is not up to scratch.Andy12306-11-2026
- Well it clearly helps that this was Pidcock's own car, no?Occam06-11-2026
- The American performance at the World's road race was a masterclass in cycling tactics. If it wasn't McNulty, it might well have been Jorgensen or Simmons to take off and win in a solo break.Occam06-11-2026
- What a gimmick
Rafionain-Glas06-11-2026 - Thats only cause he rides for UAE. In any other team he would be captain in many races atleast. UAE is just to crazymiguel06-11-2026
- He seems to be the rare athlete whose passion and curiosity about life beyond his sport equals his extraordinary achievements in it. It would be great for him to risk less of that life. He seems very grateful and joyful for what he has already attained.
MarkFour06-11-2026 - As much as I admire and even revere Wout, the less I know about his backside the better.MidnightRider06-11-2026
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