"I told the team they should bring me to the Tour because I can do a day like this" - Captain America Quinn Simmons key in Pedersen's triumph
CyclingTuesday, 07 July 2026 at 18:46
'Captain America' Quinn Simmons was the race's most valuable domestique of the 2025 Tour de France, and this year he is already well in contention to gather that title once again. Selfless, the American rider has proved absolutely key to the team's success in Foix, as Mads Pedersen took the stage win for Lidl-Trek at the end of a collective masterclass.
A perfect breakaway for Lidl-Trek
Rarely is a plan implemented with such effectiveness. A day where Pedersen was the main favourite - in a peloton sprint scenario, it made sense to lead a chase. However, the German team quickly flipped the script with Pedersen himself and Mathias Vacek forming part of the first breakaway group. Shortly after, Simmons would join his teammates in a front group of almost three dozen riders.
With climbs on the route, rolling terrain and top competition, it would not be easy to implement the team's plan. As it turned out, the plan was implemented to perfection, in a display of power rarely ever seen from a breakaway group. Vacek covered early attacks before the decisive climb, whilst Simmons covered attacks on the climb itself.
Mads Pedersen, on a brilliant day, overcame the climb only seconds behind the front riders, whilst Simmons and Vacek brought him back. The duo controlled each and every move in the treacherous final kilometers to allow the Dane to sprint for victory.
“I think when you have someone like Vacek and a leader like Mads and a team with our horsepower combined on a good day, it's kind of hard to beat us. So I’m just glad it worked out for Mads and he got his stage," Simmons said in words to TNT Sports.
Simmons rode to second place on the day, concluding a day's work that was simply unmatched by any other team. Pedersen got the stage win and rode into the green jersey whilst Vacek rode himself into the white jersey due to the gap that had been created back to the peloton.
“It seems everyone on the team but me got a prize, but yeah, it was nice," he pointed out in friendly banter. But Simmons' domestique duties once again had a perfect note, as Lidl-Trek got to celebrate in the Pyrenees.
"The strategy was to go on the break and then win the stage with Mads. I think you saw the strategy".
Despite his immense work, Quinn Simmons still sprinted to second behind Mads Pedersen
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Quinn Simmons shows his true value, once again
Simmons was a highlighter at the Tour 12 months ago and in 2026 he brought in similar form to the Grand Boucle. The team has net its first stage win and has additionally climbed onto the podium of the team's classification with a hefty lead. A difficult four-day start to the Tour, but one where the team's efforts have been rewarded.
“Yeah, don’t remind me that we’re only four days in. I don’t like to think about that in the first week," 'Captain America' joked. "We came here for a stage and to do a good GC and so far we’re doing both, so we hope it stays like this.”
For Simmons, it is only additional proof of his quality. “I mean, it’s no secret anymore what I can do on a good day, so I don’t need to pretend. I told the team they should bring me to the Tour because I can do a day like this, and I’m just happy it worked out for Mads," he concluded.
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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