After a day of racing at the Volta a Catalunya that ranged from a chaotic series of route changes to a bizarre, 25-kilometre-long mini-'stage', emotions in the peloton were understandably very mixed at the hastily improvised uphill finish in Berga on Saturday. But American Quinn Simmons' real delight at taking his first WorldTour win amid the tumultuous finale was clear to see.
After racing strongly in the Pyrenees for Lidl-Trek's GC contender Juan Pedro Lopez, it was clear that Simmons' form remained in place after Strade Bianche. Then, on the Volta a Catalunya's brutally altered stage 6, Simmons was in the right place at the right time to launch a race-winning attack.
