Surprisingly enough, the third stage in the Tour of San Juan did not end in a classic mass sprint. All the ingredients were present on the car circuit, but the American Quinn Simmons took advantage of a moment of chaos in the peloton. The Trek-Segafredo bad boy kept up his effort to the finish and was allowed to celebrate.
A repeat of 2020
A bunch of Argentinians and some Chilean accomplices let themselves be squeezed like lemons, but they couldn’t get much more than a portion of honor.
Not two without three, the sprinter teams judged and after a sweltering day without pepper and salt, it went to the car circuit at a breakneck speed.
Zdenek Stybar had proven in 2020 that the undulations and bends on this finish can make the peloton a pear and Quinn Simmons had done his homework well.
In the final kilometer the bad boy spoke to his nose for the good moment and with the lactic acid up to his ears he took off the beard of hunter Maximiliano Richeze and the fast men after a powerful swipe.
Remco Evenepoel took the peloton in tow in the closing kilometers, but the Soudal-Quick Step train never got on the rails in all the chaos.
Tomorrow a sprint is a question mark due to the hilly first half, Thursday is a rest day in the Tour of San Juan.
“My coach sent me the video”
“My coach sent me a video of Zdenek Stybar’s attack and victory last night,” Quinn Simmons explained.
“I watched the footage 3 more times this morning. I told my roommate where to drop me off and then I’d finish.”
“It’s nice to do that too. My type doesn’t win sprints or mountain stages, I need such opportunities.”
“I promised the team one thing this season and that is winning more. I had chosen this place of my attack and it worked out. I am one of the best riders on such a finish.”
“Whether I’m competing for the overall victory? I got a time penalty on the first day, unfortunately. But I’ve already taken back 10 seconds.”
Simmons indicated to Renaat Schotte that he paid more attention to his nutrition during the winter and that he also wants to show something in the classics “after 3 terrible years”.
“If I can help Mads Pedersen in the final of the Tour of Flanders, that would be nice. Helping my leaders to victory is a great step before it’s my turn to win,” said the confident American.
Yves Lampaert: “Deserved winner”
Yves Lampaert was the first finisher of Soudal-Quick Step in 8th place. He attributed the chaotic finale to the wide corners and the wave movements in the peloton.
“We kind of lost each other, the train wasn’t on the rails. It was every man for himself after that.”
“I was on the left when Quinn Simmons went right and before I knew it he had 30 yards.”
“I knew from Zdenek Stybar that such a gap is enough. It is very difficult to close that here. But he deserved to win.”
