“Yeah, longest race, longest ride” – American debutant Colby Simmons reveals Tour of Flanders was his longest ever ride
Cycling
Colby Simmons made his professional debut for EF
Education–EasyPost on one of the sport’s grandest stages, Sunday’s Tour of
Flanders. While Tadej Pogacar stole the headlines with another dominant win,
for 21-year-old Simmons, the 269km race wasn’t just his longest race to date,
it was the longest ride of his life!
“It was about yeah, two weeks ago or so. I knew I got the
contract, and once you get the offer, it's something you can't say no to. And
with an American team especially, it's even cooler.”
Simmons was a late addition to the Flanders squad, receiving
the call-up only days before the race.
“About a week or a week and a half or so ago. They said
there might be a possibility with some guys getting injured and such. And then,
yeah, it's something that you can't say no to; it's just super special!”
Despite the obvious fatigue, Simmons reflected on the
experience with pride and humour.
“Yeah, longest race, longest ride… it's crazy,” he said to Cycling News. “I
thought I was feeling pretty good, but then it turns out they hadn't started
going hard yet. Once they decided to rip it up the Kwaremont the second time…
that was all she wrote. Suffering, suffering the whole time. But yeah, happy.
Happy to get to the end.”
He added, “I'm happy, just happy. Happy to finish and then
do what I could for the team. And I think it went well.”
The American won’t have long to rest. His next assignment is
another legendary test: Paris–Roubaix.
“Roubaix, so another Monument, which is super cool. I love
it. It's an opportunity that not everyone gets, so I'll take it for sure.”
Racing alongside the world’s best might be intimidating, but
Simmons is embracing the challenge with perspective and determination.
“It's definitely, definitely super special, but at the end
of the day they're here racing and we're here racing, and then of course
they're better than everyone. But you can try, try, and try and beat them, but
it is what it is.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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