'They went really fast, and I didn't' - Quinn Simmons finishes 9th at Leadville

Quinn Simmons made the decision to participate in the Leadville Trail 100 race only last Friday. The Lidl-Trek cyclist was part of the Tour de France, and his participation against top Life Time Grand Prix racers in Colorado garnered significant attention. Simmons explained that he made the decision on Friday last week, as he had always mentioned coming, and was happy to be supported by Trek's team.

Simmons made it to the largest climb of the day with the lead group, which included reigning Leadville and world champion Keegan Swenson, podium contender John Gaston, and previous world champion Andreas Seewald. However, Simmons admitted that his training was non-existent between the Tour de France and the Leadville race. After crossing the finish line in ninth place, Simmons said that the group went really fast, and he didn't keep up.

Swenson won the race in a two-up sprint against Matthew Wilson. Simmons had raced Leadville 100 seven years ago when he was 18, finishing second to Howard Grotts. Since then, competition at Leadville has intensified, attracting top talent from the Life Time Grand Prix. Swenson’s win this year was his sixth consecutive win, tying Dave Wiens' all-time record.

Simmons is set to race the Philly Cycling Classic, Canadian one-day classics, and world championships in Montreal in the coming season. However, he expressed his desire to return to Leadville with more preparation next year, despite the interference with the Worlds and the Olympics.