Quinn Simmons earns solo victory at US Pro Road Race Nationals

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Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) rode solo to his first elite men’s title at US Pro Road Race National Championships Sunday afternoon. Tyler Williams (L39ION of Los Angeles), who had ridden most of the second half of the race with Simmons in the breakaway, held on for the silver medal, trailing by 37 seconds.

Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) made an outside move around the final corner under the flashing lights of the Tennessee Theatre and sprinted past Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) to secure the final podium spot in downtown Knoxville. The duo finished 1:49 back.

“You know I have like 10 things on my list that I wanted to win and this was one of them. I wasn’t supposed to be here [at US Road Nationals]. I took a last-minute flight home, coming off of one of the worst days of my life on the bike," an emotional Simmons said after his victory, referencing his respects to Gino Mãder, who died after crashing at this year’s Tour de Suisse. "I just feel super lucky, racing with my brother, my dad jumped in the team car for the last few laps.

“I had two sets of legs with me today, as motivated as a rider could be. Now I go to the biggest sporting event. You know, I’m always super proud to be American and now I get to show it. Now I get to enjoy the jersey for a whole year.”

The men’s 115.6-mile (186.1km) road race was delayed for more than one hour to allow a line of storms, with heavy rain and lightning, to pass the area nestled on the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee. The field of 119 riders began with light rain falling.

With the late start, USA Cycling reduced the number of laps on the 6.8-mile course from 17 to 15, making the event 102 miles, rather than 115.6 miles.

“When they shortened the race, we had to do everything to make it super hard. I know the harder it is, it’ll just whittle the guys down,” Simmons said after the race. 

The reduced distance did not reduce the amount of drama in any way.

How it unfolded

A small group of riders attacked on the first lap but it was all back together with 94 miles remaining in the marathon race, the roads wet for the competitors and dampening the festivities of the fans lining the one-mile climb of Sherrod Road.

On the second pass of Sherrod Road, major fragments of riders spread across the slope, the front led by Simmons, alongside the Human Powered Health duo of Gage Hecht and Chad Haga. A trio then got away - Hecht, Robin Carpenter (L39ION of Los Angeles) and Riley Sheehan (Denver Disruptors). The chase group behind included 13 riders.

With 80 miles to race, Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) and Joey Rosskopf (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) took the reins of a 13-rider chase group to catch the lead trio, who were 20 seconds up the wet road.

Another 20 miles in and the lead group still contained Carpenter, but he was riding with teammate Kyle Murphy along with Stephen Bassett (Human Powered Health), Cade Bickmore (Project Echelon Racing), and local favourite Stephen Bassett (Human Powered Health).

There was a quiet period during the mid-point of the race until Tyler Williams launched his attack, and was soon at the front of the race in time trial mode with a 25-second advantage over nine chasers with 40 miles to go. From that group, Simmons made a move to catch the L39ION rider and then it became a two-rider race for victory.

Simmons and Williams built a 2:30 lead after the 13th pass over Sherrod Road, while behind McNulty hit the accelerator on the climb and was matched by Stites, the only rider to hold his wheel.

By the penultimate lap, Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and Tyler Williams (L39ION of Los Angeles) rode solo at the front of the race, with the tandem of McNulty and Stites fighting to make the catch behind.

Simmons then was able to drop Williams after the descent of the final climb, riding 1:24 seconds ahead of Stites and McNulty. It was the Trek rider who then rode the final six miles solo to the victory.

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