Quinn Simmons sanctioned for riding off course at Tour de France

SONDERBERG, Denmark (VN) — Quinn Simmons was fined and sanctioned by the UCI race jury for riding off the official race course during Sunday’s third stage at the Tour de France.

The Tour rookie at Trek-Segafredo was fined 500 Swiss francs as well as penalized 25 points in the UCI classification, and penalized 20 seconds in the overall classification.

Also read: Simmons to ‘fight for victories’ in Tour debut

Simmons was also penalized 40 points in the points classification and 1 point in the mountain classification.

Footage during the stage showed Simmons riding on the grass next to the road. He was not immediately available for comment.

The jury report on Sunday cited the UCI rule that outlines riding on sidewalks, paths or cycle paths.

Riders have been disqualified for riding on sidewalks or curbs to avoid tricky sectors, especially in one-day races.

Simmons is making his Tour debut this year, and is among seven Americans racing in the 2022 Tour.

So far, Simmons is working to help his team going into the first week, but hopes to see some opportunities to ride into breakaways in the second half of the Tour.