Quinn Simmons wins Japan Cup cycling race

American cyclist Quinn Simmons of Lidl-Trek won the Japan Cup in Utsunomiya, securing his tenth professional victory. Simmons, the reigning U.S. national champion, won the race via a sprint finish after a head-to-head battle with Ireland’s Ben Healy of EF Education-EasyPost.

The two riders broke away from the peloton with approximately 28 to 30 kilometers remaining in the 144.2-kilometer race. They established a lead of over one minute before the chasing group reached them. Simmons, who is among the youngest winners in the history of the event, celebrated his victory with a trademark salute to the Japanese fans.

Lidl-Trek also saw a strong performance from Julien Bernard, who finished sixth. The race featured fourteen 10-kilometer laps with significant elevation gain, totaling over 2,500 meters.