Quinn Simmons Leadville expectations rose quickly after the Lidl-Trek rider made a late call to race the Leadville Trail 100. The Tour de France attacker reached the key climb with the favourites, but he could not match the pace when the race broke open at altitude.
Simmons finished ninth in Colorado, more than eight minutes after Keegan Swenson won the race. Swenson, racing for Specialized Off-Road, beat Matthew Wilson of Scott Sports in a two-up sprint.
The result came after a rapid shift in plans for Simmons. He said he decided only the previous Friday to enter the race. He was at home, Trek had support available at Leadville, and the team approved his request.
That late decision left little time for specific preparation. Simmons said his training between the Tour de France and Leadville had been “non-existent”.
Quinn Simmons Leadville challenge fades on Columbine
Simmons remained in the front group until the main climb of the day. The group included reigning Leadville champion and marathon mountain bike world champion Swenson, ski-mountaineer John Gaston of STRAFE-Specialized, and former world champion Andreas Seewald of Singer KTM Racing.
The decisive split came on the Columbine climb, which rises above 12,000 feet. Swenson increased the pressure there, and the front group began to fracture.
Simmons said he knew the effort required to stay with the move. He added that he “just didn’t have the legs” to produce it.
After crossing the line, Simmons described the race in simple terms. The group entered the climb together, then the strongest riders accelerated. Simmons could not respond, and his chance of fighting for victory ended there.
The ninth-place finish marked Simmons’ first Leadville appearance in seven years. He last raced the event as an 18-year-old and finished second to Howard Grotts, the 2016 Olympic mountain biker.
Leadville has changed significantly since that ride. The Life Time Grand Prix has helped draw deeper fields and more specialist off-road talent. Swenson’s latest victory was his sixth consecutive win at the event. That run tied Dave Wiens’ all-time Leadville win record.
Swenson extends dominance as Tour riders test Leadville
Simmons was not the only recent Tour rider on the Leadville start line. Rosa Kloser of Canyon-SRAM also raced after the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The Life Time Grand Prix contender did not feature at the front of the Leadville race.
For Simmons, the Colorado race was an off-road diversion during a road season that still has major targets ahead. His planned programme includes the Philly Cycling Classic, the Canadian one-day classics, and the world championships in Montreal.
He also left open the possibility of another Leadville attempt. Simmons said he would like to return with better preparation, although future calendars may complicate that plan. He noted that next year’s race conflicts with Worlds, while the following year falls during Olympic time.
The Trek rider has also spoken openly about a longer-term ambition in ski mountaineering. He has said he wants to race ski-mo at the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.
Any winter progress depends on his off-season schedule and early snow. Simmons said he enjoys training on skis, but Lidl-Trek winter camps begin in early December. He said an early November storm would be necessary for substantial ski time.
At Leadville, however, the immediate lesson was clear. Simmons could follow the elite off-road specialists deep into the race, but the altitude and sharp climbing pace exposed his lack of preparation.
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