Viewed as potentially one of the future stars of American cycling, Sean Quinn completed the first Grand Tour of his career this year at the Vuelta a Espana. Although the race was a big wakeup call to the 23-year-old, he believes it has left him in a good place going forward.
“I got me teeth kicked a few times this year. I think this Vuelta has given me a lot of perspective of where I am at this stage of my career,” the EF Education-EasyPost rider revealed in conversation with Velo. “It’s been a long ride. I think every day brought a different challenge, but in general, happy to finish it off. It’s been a great experience and I really learned a lot.”
With his compatriot Sepp Kuss having taken overall victory at the Vuelta and the likes of Matteo Jorgenson, Neilson Powless and Brandon McNulty among other all performing at a high level, US cycling is in its best position that it has been for years. Quinn, who took his first professional win this year at the Coppa e Bartali is looking to become the next American success story.
“Sepp is a bit older than me, so I didn’t grow up with him racing. I’ve done a few training camps with him, and every race we do together we talk in the peloton. We have a lot of mutual friends, and we both went to CU-Boulder, so we know a lot of the same people,” Quinn says of the Jumbo-Visma superstar. “I think it shows that we’re not completely out of the game."
Despite this though, Quinn is unsure Kuss's victory will kickstart a cycling boom period stateside. “It’s really random what kind of things can spark a wave. Maybe one viral video of a crash at the Tour de France could do more for cycling in the U.S. than a guy winning the Vuelta. You never know," he says. "Of course, I hope it inspires some kids. In general, it’s great for USA cycling.”
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