Quinn Simmons Targets 2027 Tour de France After Closing Season at Japan Cup
American cyclist Quinn Simmons finished his 2026 season with a victory at the Japan Cup, capping a campaign that left him searching for what he terms “that final piece” of the puzzle to secure major WorldTour victories, cyclingnews.com reported. At 25 years old, Simmons reflected on a year that included retaining his US national champion’s jersey, an aggressive breakaway performance at the Tour de France, and a fourth-place finish at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal while supporting Brandon McNulty’s world championship road race campaign.
Chasing Major Objectives and WorldTour Growth
Simmons completed his seventh professional season after jumping directly from the junior ranks following his 2023 junior world title. Despite consistent front-running performances, including a stage win at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the American rider acknowledged missing his primary seasonal targets. “It’s been good, but I’ve also, I mean, I’ve missed my two biggest objectives, so, you know, there’s some disappointment there,” Simmons said at Il Lombardia, as reported by cyclingnews.com.
Simmons noted that while major victories eluded him, his overall racing standard improved. “I think I took a step up from last year, even though I haven’t won a lot, I’ve shown that I’m at least in the game for the big races,” he stated. When asked what specific adjustment remains to unlock elite-level wins, he admitted uncertainty: “I mean, if I knew what it is, I would have done it already.”
Focus Shifts to the 2027 Tour de France
Looking ahead to the 2027 calendar, Simmons has already fixed his primary ambitions on the Tour de France and a long-sought stage win in the three-week French grand tour. While an elite world championship title remains a career goal, he ruled out contending for the rainbow jersey in 2027 due to the brutal climbing profiles in the French Alps. “The Worlds, I think, is too hard for anyone my size, so I don’t think it’s reasonable to think there, but yeah, for sure, my eyes are already on the Tour,” Simmons told cyclingnews.com. “The biggest objective every year will be the Tour. For an American rider, that’s where the sport matters the most.”
During the 2026 Tour de France, Simmons earned recognition as a top teammate while working to support green jersey winner Mads Pedersen. Although he occasionally had to sacrifice personal stage ambitions for team strategy, Simmons expressed satisfaction with his physical condition during the race and intends to use that fitness baseline as a springboard for the upcoming season.
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