Only four days removed from USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships, Durango’s Quinn Simmons, 18, was in pursuit of another national title on a different bike.
Simmons competed Thursday in the time trial at the USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships in Boonsboro, Maryland. Simmons had short time to prepare with his Lux Cycling Development Team after last weekend’s mountain bike nationals in West Virginia, where he won the junior men’s cross-country and short-track national titles.
Simmons, who is in his first year of competing in road racing, has seen big results on the road bike this summer and was eager for a chance at the podium in the 12.8-mile time trial Thursday in the 17-18 men’s age division. He didn’t quite have the legs for the podium, as he finished seventh in 27 minutes, 32.30 seconds. That was 1:10.93 back of winner Riley Sheehan of Boulder, one of Simmons’ teammates.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Simmons said. “I haven’t really done too many time trials, especially in the U.S. It’s only my second American one. I didn’t know how I’d feel coming off mountain bike nationals.
“My legs were OK, but they definitely could have been better, a lot fresher. Given that I was racing last weekend and it only being Thursday, it was about as good as I could have expected.”
Lux Cycling placed seven riders in the top 10 to give the team a commanding win. Sheehan won by 3.44 seconds ahead of California’s Andrew Vollmer, also of Lux. A total of 69 riders finished the race in Simmons’ age category.
“Everyone is definitely pretty happy, especially going into the weekend road races,” Simmons said. “Putting seven guys in the top 10 sets us up well going into the road race.”
Simmons, son of Holly and Scott Simmons, will get a day to rest Friday while the younger riders compete in road races. Simmons will contend in Saturday’s road race and Sunday’s criterium. He likely will be one of two riders, along with Sheehan, protected by the Lux team in the road race to give those two the best chance to win.
Saturday’s road race in Clear Springs, Maryland, is six laps for a total of 75.8 miles. Simmons is optimistic about the course.
“It’s pretty rolling,” he said. “It’s going to be long, but there’s nothing that’s too big of a climb. There are enough rollers to separate the stronger kids. It’s gonna be pretty hot it sounds like, so being strong throughout is super important. We proved today we have the team to get it done.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
