MONTREAL — Quinn Simmons has revealed exactly what it takes to contend at the sharp end of a brutal World Championships road race, posting Strava power data from his fourth-place finish on the Mount Royal circuit in Montréal where teammate Brandon McNulty claimed the rainbow jersey. The American covered the outlandish 276km (171-mile) distance in a moving time of 6hr 24min 56sec, one of three U.S. riders including Matteo Jorgenson and new champion McNulty to upload their rides from the weekend.
Simmons, who posts on Strava under the pseudonym Ricky Bobby — the fictional NASCAR driver — titled his file 'Someone PLAY FREEBIRD' and quoted 'Miracle on Ice' in the description: "You play 'em 10, you might lose 9. Not today." He is the rare pro to share power, averaging 291 watts for the duration, which translated to a monster normalized power of 361 watts across the climbs and changes of pace. He also logged an average heart rate of 150bpm with a maximum of 190bpm, hit as he crested the Voie Camillien Houde for the eighth time during a stint out front with Mathieu van der Poel and Primož Roglič, and collected multiple Strava Achievements including KoM on the Pont de 35 UP segment.
Speaking after the race to NOS, Simmons detailed the American plan hatched the night before. "In cycling so many times you make a plan and it doesn't go well. We lose so many races every year. In the meeting last night… I mean we're all on different teams, and we said, 'no matter what, an American needs to finish on the podium'. And I said 'Hey boys, anything's possible. We race for the podium but more could happen if we ride like this. And we did exactly that," he said. On finishing just outside the medals, he added: "Whatever – who cares about missing a medal when the team takes the jersey."
The data underlines the visceral nature of the Worlds in Montréal, a race Simmons and others described as a two-wheeled boxing match around the serrated Mount Royal laps. Isolated from outside help and carrying huge fatigue from the distance, riders repeatedly attacked each other on the circuit, with tiredness and determination laid bare over more than six hours in the saddle.