{"id":40312,"date":"2022-05-28T19:07:54","date_gmt":"2022-05-29T01:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/quinn-simmons-wins-iron-horse\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:55:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:55:10","slug":"quinn-simmons-wins-iron-horse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/quinn-simmons-wins-iron-horse\/","title":{"rendered":"Quinn Simmons wins Iron Horse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Quinn
Quinn Simmons flies down Coal Bank Pass during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men\u2019s road race on Saturday on U.S. Highway 550. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Quinn Simmons won the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race Saturday, racing the 47 miles from Durango to Silverton in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 29 seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to be back. It\u2019s been five years since my last (Iron Horse), and I don\u2019t get to race at local (events) much anymore,\u201d said Simmons, who races on the WorldTour for Trek-Segafredo. \u201cEveryone has got to win this race, at least if you\u2019re from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simmons said his best previous result was an eighth-place finish the year Sepp Kuss dominated the field.<\/p>\n

\"Quinn
Quinn Simmons wins the 2022 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men\u2019s road race as Caleb Classen places second on Saturday in Silverton. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The WorldTour rider, however, didn\u2019t set out to win the Iron Horse this year. He was working for his younger brother, Colby Simmons, making attacks to try to tire out the field and give Colby an edge.<\/p>\n

\"Fortunato
Fortunato Ferrara climbs Coal Bank Pas. He rode alone for most of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men\u2019s road race Saturday on U.S. Highway 550. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cI was here trying to help Colby,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cI was trying to work it hard in the valley.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early in the race, a group of eight riders sprinted out in front of the peloton, which included last year\u2019s runner-up, Fortunato Ferrara, and Scott Simmons.<\/p>\n

Ferrara then attacked and was out in front by himself. At Chipmunk Hill, Ferraro led a chase group of three by 40 seconds and the peloton by 1:45. Colby, however, then made his move and attacked.<\/p>\n

\"Caleb
Caleb Classen leads Riley Amos down Coal Bank Pass during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men\u2019s road race Saturday on U.S. Highway 550. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Colby said the downhills are his favorite part of the route, and said he was going down them about 50 mph.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou definitely don\u2019t want to crash,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re pushing it to the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colby got to the bottom of Coal Bank, but got caught going back up the next hill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI probably went too deep at the bottom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The leader group, which included Howard Grotts, Riley Amos, Caleb Classen, Robbie Day, Ned Overend, Cobe Freeburn and Quinn, caught up to Colby. And shortly after that, Quinn, Amos and Classen reeled in Fortunato.<\/p>\n

\"Scott
Scott Simmons leads riders in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men\u2019s road race Saturday on U.S. Highway 550. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Quinn then decided to go for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want that work to go to waste,\u201d he said. \u201cI went for it on the downhill on Coal Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n

Classen went with Quinn down Coal Bank and up Molas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe attacked each other a few times,\u201d Classen said. \u2018There wasn\u2019t much separation, and then we came in on the sprint together. And he kicked my (butt) at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Classen finished second, just 0.2 seconds after Quinn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel bad getting second to Quinn,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Riders
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men\u2019s road race Saturday and pass the West Needles Mountains on U.S. Highway 550. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Last year\u2019s champ, Amos, finished in third in 2:12.10, which is about five minutes faster than he rode last year. Amos, who has been competing on his mountain bike in the U23 World Cup, said he rode his road bike twice this week to get ready for the Iron Horse, but that was the first time he had been on it since February. He also returned from Europe sick after his last races and spent time recovering.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was fresh, but off of the pace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Amos, however, had some good descents to cross in third place.<\/p>\n

Fortunato ended up placing fourth, followed by Day, Colby, Grotts, Freeburn, Overend and Nicholas Jenkins in 10th.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of the deepest fields I\u2019ve ever seen\u201d Overend said. \u201cIt was a fast field. The locals are so fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Quinn
Quinn Simmons leads Caleb Classen up Coal Bank Pass during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men\u2019s road race Saturday on U.S. Highway 550. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Overend said he wanted to be in the lead group at Coal Bank to make sure he was in there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat pack was already shattered at Coal Bank. That doesn\u2019t happen too often,\u201d said Overend, who was racing in his 38th or 39th Iron Horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a classic race and has so much community support,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s so beautiful going up the passes, and it gives you a goal to train for early in the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ned
Ned Overend competes Saturday in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men\u2019s pro road race on U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

And the locals seemed happy to ride at home before continuing U.S. and international racing.<\/p>\n

Quinn will next race in the Tour de Suisse, June 12-19. If it goes well, he said he make his debut in the Tour de France this year.<\/p>\n

For complete results, visit https:\/\/my.raceresult.com\/203806\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The
The top finishers in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men\u2019s pro road race on Saturday celebrate in Silverton. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Quinn
Quinn Simmons, left, and his brother, Colby Simmons, and their father Scott Simmons meet up after crossing the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men\u2019s pro road race finish line Saturday in Silverton. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Riders
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men\u2019s pro road race on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday north of Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Riders
Riders take off at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men\u2019s pro road race on Saturday in Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

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