Quinn Simmons to return to cobbled classics after successful Tirreno-Adriatico

American Quinn Simmons has had quite the start to the season, showing good legs at Strade Bianche where he's finished in the Top10 and now featuring in Tirreno-Adriatico where he's taken the KOM classification win.

"With the efforts I've put in this week, it'd be just too much. I need the ten days between now and the Classics to take a break and rest up," Simmons said. He has raced Tirreno-Adriatico this week where he was one of the main figures after being a part of some breakaways and netting the win in the KOM classification.

His initial plan was to ride Milano-Sanremo, but after the efforts of this week, he had alongside the team decided that the best option is to reserve him for the cobbled classics after a resting period: "Last year I did it and it was cool, especially with Jasper winning, but you've got to think of the bigger picture. For sure it's a race [Milano-Sanremo] I want to do in the future and even aim for but not this year, it just doesn't fit in with my plans."

"I was hoping for a stage win and was riding to prepare for the Classics. We missed out on the stage but it's a nice prize. It came a bit by chance. I thought it would be nice be on the podium in a WorldTour race like Tirreno," he said regarding his performance in Italy this week, having gotten his first classification win in a World Tour race.

"Then, together with the team, we realized that trying to keep it was a good idea. We had not really much to lose in trying. I know that could appear bit weird to see me with this jersey. It was hard but I'm really proud of it; it's a nice surprise." With Jasper Stuyven and Mads Pedersen showing good form, the team is certainly aiming high this spring where they will be looking to take a monument home.

"We're in a good place to go into the Classics. If we look within our team, Mads Pedersen was really good in Paris-Nice and Jasper Stuyven is riding quite well too," he concluded.