Quinn Simmons Lets The Bike Speak For Him, For Better And Worse

MULHOUSE, France — Stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France was supposed to be boring.

Maybe it would have been were it not for Quinn Simmons, who did what he does best and made the peloton quake with a thumping attack.

The American champion seized the initiative with 35 kilometers left, splintering the bunch and dragging a dozen strong riders with him, turning what would have otherwise been a dull procession into a thrilling finale.

Very few riders are strong enough to cleave a charging peloton like that on a flat day; fewer still have the casual power to be able to initiate and execute a full-speed high five with their flag-waving father while doing so; and only Simmons could inspire equally strong reactions of annoyance and excitement with such a cool, daring move.

There really isn't anyone like Simmons in the professional peloton.

As is evident in the clip, Simmons has one of the biggest engines in the world.

While he's won stages at a handful of big races and gotten into some strong top 10s, his racecraft hasn't always matched his strength, so he's still searching for a career-defining win.

But what truly makes him stand out is his willingness to use that engine to cut straight into the wind.

This makes Simmons both an incredible domestique when he's riding for a teammate and a supreme animator of bike races when he's riding for himself.

He helped Jonathan Milan win last year's points jersey and is currently helping Mads Pedersen do the same this year, setting up a dominant breakaway win for Pedersen on Stage 4 and still finding the time to drive several moves.

Cycling involves so much strategic passivity.

Simmons races in refusal of that notion.