American Quinn Simmons Solos to Junior Men’s UCI World Championships Road Race Title

USA sealed their second rainbow jersey and added another two medals to their overall tally at the 2019 UCI Road World Championships as Quinn Simmons won the Junior Men’s Road Race ahead of Italy’s Alessio Martinelli and his compatriot Magnus Sheffield with Bronze

The American team was active right from the start and after thinning out the field, Quinn made his winning move on the first of three laps of the Harrogate circuit. The 18 year old sprung clear with 33km to go on the short, sharp Oak Beck climb and never looked back as he soloed to the biggest win of his fledgling career.

Quinn triumphed by a 56-second winning margin, with solo pursuer Martinelli taking the silver medal before Sheffield outsprinted three rivals for third.

Once again, the weather gods played their part in the drama. Richmond was bathed in sunshine at the start of the day as huge crowds, including hundreds of local schoolchildren, packed Market Place to see the riders away.

The conditions deteriorated on the 106.6km trek to Harrogate, but that didn’t stop the Dales looking  spectacular as the peloton wound their way through Buckden, Burnsall and Blubberhouses. Giant land art dotted the route and images of Bolton Castle, Kilnsey Crag and Bolton Abbey were among the landmarks being beamed to millions of people across the globe.

By the time the riders hit the Harrogate circuit with 41.5km still to go the heavens had truly opened, but yet again, that didn’t stop thousands of fans lining the now-famous drag up to the finish line.

Not surprisingly, it was on that third and final lap where Simmons received his loudest cheer of the day, and the Coloradan even had time to snatch his national flag from family at the side of the road before celebrating his hard-fought victory.

Alfie George led Great Britain home in seventh place meanwhile, and fellow Yorkshireman Sam Watson was 28th.

USA rider Quinn Simmons said: “It was always the plan to try and win solo and my training’s been aimed at that. Everything went perfectly today. The roads here are rolling and heavy, and that was a long distance for a junior race. Add the rain into that mix and it wore a lot of people down – which worked to our advantage. When the course was revealed I knew it’d suit me and it’s been my goal ever since. To win solo with a flag passed to me by my family is probably the coolest experience I’ll ever have in my life. The support here was crazy as well – the largest crowd I’ve ever experienced in a junior race. I loved it all and I’d definitely like to come back to Yorkshire in the future.”

VIDEO: Men Junior Road Race Highlights | 2019 UCI Road World Championships

2019 UCI World Championships Men's Junior Road Race

1 Quinn Simmons (United States Of America) 3:38:04
2 Alessio Martinelli (Italy) +56”
3 Magnus Sheffield (United States Of America) +01’33”
4 Enzo Leijnse (Netherlands) ,,
5 Gianmarco Garofoli (Italy) ,,
6 Vegard Stokke (Norway) ,,
7 Alfred George (Great Britain) +01’45”
8 Frederik Wandahl (Denmark) ,,
9 Jakub Boucek (Czech Republic) ,,
10 Milan Paulus (Belgium) ,,