Four days after a hard bike crash, Durangoan Quinn Simmons of Lidl-Trek was forced to abandon the Tour de France.
“Together with my doctor, coaches and team, we have made the decision not to start today,” Simmons said online. “Disappointed doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling. I built my whole season around arriving here in peak form but I guess that’s how this sport goes. Thanks to Lidl-Trek for the opportunity to show the world this jersey, if only for eight days it’s still super special to be at the Tour de France. Good luck boys.”
Simmons won the USA elite men’s road race national title just before the Tour began so his Lidl-Trek jersey was decorated with stars-and-stripes.
On stage 5 on Wednesday, however, Simmons crashed, ripping his jersey and shorts and the skin underneath. He was able to finish the stage and actually moved up nine spots in the general classification to 144th. Simmons continued for three more stages, riding with a bandage on his left arm, before withdrawing on Sunday before Stage 9.
Simmons finished 162nd on his final stage of the Tour, Stage 8 on Saturday. His Lidl-Trek teammate, Mads Pedersen, won the stage. Simmons was 160th overall in the race’s general classification after the eighth stage.
With his withdraw, the Tour has five Americans in its field of 169 cyclists, including fellow Durangoan Sepp Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar Team), Neilson Powless (EF Education EasyPost), Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich) and Lawson Craddock (Team Jayco AlUla)
“Now to Girona for some further medical checks and recovery,” Simmons said. “Then back to work (fingers crossed). Still some big goals left. American muscle out.”