Quinn Simmons takes a cynical stance on his own role in the Tour de France: 'They’re the ones paying my salary'

Quinn Simmons has been aggressive at the Tour de France. The 25-year-old American was in the breakaway for the fifth time in this race during Stage 17 on Wednesday and once again worked his heart out to defend Mads Pedersen’s green jersey. However, his cynincal comments after Stage 15 prompted Lidl-Trek to respond.

Pedersen and Simmons rode very hard in the seventeenth stage, but in the end, Mads Pedersen only won the intermediate sprint. At the finish line, it was none other than his main rival, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), who won the stage. As a result, the gap between Pedersen and Philipsen in the points classification is now just 7 points.

For that reason, the Danish leader will have to score points in the three Alpine stages so as not to let it come down to the final stage in Paris on Sunday. And so Simmons also knows he’ll have to give it his all for another three days to ensure Pedersen is at the front of the race, at least for the intermediate sprints. And, just like on Wednesday, even to sprint alongside his competitors.

Aside from Simmons’ second-place finish in Stage 4 of the Tour de France—which he achieved from the breakaway in Foix—there won’t be many more opportunities for the American to succeed on his own in the Alps. He might be able to push on after an intermediate sprint, but working for Pedersen will obviously take a lot of energy.

And so, last Sunday after Stage 15, following a day of hard work for Pedersen and general classification contender Juan Ayuso, the American champion said: “I think the team has made it very clear that they care more about Mads’ green jersey than about winning a stage. And at the end of the day, they’re the ones paying my salary, so I do what I’m told,” Cyclingnews quoted him as saying.

Simmons’ comments were cynical and harsh, though he didn’t go into much detail about his current role on the team or in the Tour de France. “I’m here to fully support Mads in his quest for the green jersey,” he even emphasised, thereby toning down the harshness of his remarks once again.

When confronted with Simmons’ comments ahead of the start of Stage 17 on Wednesday, team manager Steven de Jongh actually responded quite sympathetically. “I understand the frustration, and I think Mathias Vacek feels the same way. But we’re here for a good cause, and that’s the green jersey for Mads. They knew that, and they also know that we have to help Mads achieve that.”

"It might be his last chance at the green jersey," said De Jongh. "They’re sticking to the plan, so that’s good. They’re allowed to vent their frustrations—there’s nothing wrong with that. But ultimately, we’ll keep doing what we do. Quinn and Mathias are true sportsmen who want to win, and they still have long careers ahead of them."

"If we shift our focus more toward the general classification, they'll have opportunities. We want to win the Tour de France someday, so there will be less room for the green jersey. That will help the attackers."