“If anyone is surprised that Pogacar won this race then I don’t think they follow cycling” - Quinn Simmons secures World Championship top 10 in Zurich
CyclingMonday, 30 September 2024 at 17:00
Understandably, all the post-2024 World Championship road race headlines are surrounding Tadej Pogacar's ride for the ages as he attacked 100km out, en route to his first ever Rainbow Jersey. Somewhat lost in the shuffle however, is a very strong performance from the USA's Quinn Simmons.
With a dangerous lead group nearly two minutes up the road, Pogacar decided to take matters into his own hands in the chase, attacking from the peloton at 100km to go. Although Simmons and Andrea Bagioli attempted to follow, they were soon dropped as Pogacar linked up with compatriot Jan Tratnik from the breakaway. Although the nature of Pogacar's victory came as a surprise, the end result did not shock Simmons at all.
“If anyone is surprised that Pogacar won this race then I don’t think they follow cycling,” the former US national champion Quinn Simmons stated after the finish. “I did 7000 kilojoules today, so you tell me if the race was difficult. My teammate Matteo Jorgenson told me before the race that he tried to follow Pogacar once and said that ‘when you go too close to the sun you get burnt,' and today I got burnt.”
Nevertheless, a 9th placed finish in a race containing some of the biggest and best the current peloton has to offer is a more than creditable result for Lidl - Trek's Simmons. Finishing as the highest placing American also, the 23-year-old can look back fondly on his performance in Zurich.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
May 12, 11:09
0
Popular news
Latest comments
- So, is it solved???Mistermaumau20-05-2025
- Or some health issue. I’d make sure he’s never far from an ambulance with competent crew.Mistermaumau20-05-2025
- I hate to agree. If it was a lesser name that had won in that way, they would have been called a "wheelsucker". Still a win is a win and it goes down in the record books as that, no matter how it is gained.Cyclingsbestfan20-05-2025
- At this point i suspect nobody knows what the problems are. Overtraining/undertraining or sickness or fatigue or just mental pressureabstractengineer20-05-2025
- He should have left the previous time before he signed this contract. But probably the offers weren't lucrative enoughabstractengineer20-05-2025
- He sat on for 40km! That is not a glorious victoryracyrich20-05-2025
- Why do we still see quotes from Wuyts? I’ve yet to read anything constructive from him - always criticizing riders, esp non Belgians. I wonder if he’s just envious of their talent?Crashjames20-05-2025
- Based on the last 5 TTs on WT & Pro levels, ProCyclingStats.com predicts Ayuso could gain 14 seconds on Del Toro, Roglic 20 seconds. Roglic would jump from 10th to 4th in GC during the TT. Personally I think Roglic will gain more than 20 seconds on both.Ride197420-05-2025
- Ah, here's the trick, one may not be able to beat Tadej, but still harbour the hope for GC podium. So, don't pull so hard. Let others do the work, then one can save energy and try to follow when Tadej attacks to limit the time loss.
KerisVroom20-05-2025 - "I don't know how I'll be this season for the World Cup"?? This whole article is strangely worded, but surely that should be World Championship?VinnySport20-05-2025
I think he is wrong. This was close to Pogacar's limits. He just about made it. Even Remco and MVDP said so and even Pogi. If there was better cooperation and less attacks in the chase group he would be caught. Remember he never got more than a minute's gap and at the 20k mark he was cracking
When the chase group is attacking each other with Pogi 1 minute up the road the you know they are all racing for second place. Too bad, because with good collaboration I believe they could have caught Pogi.
If you read his interview, there was no way they were catching him. he knew what his lead was at all times. he knew when to go and how hard to hold onto the victory. he wasn't really worried about the gap being 30s. he knew they were all gassed in the chase group, and Remco confirmed they were. Tadej knew the course well enough that he saved what he needed to for the last climb and opened it back up. they were all cracking at 20k