Quinn Simmons’ Surprise High Five With Dad at the Tour de France

Updated July 17, 2026 01:06PM

A Feel-Good Moment on Stage 12

Quinn Simmons is the US national champion in bike racing. On Thursday, during stage 12 of the Tour de France (a famous, very long bike race in France), he did one of his signature "mega-watt attacks" — that means he suddenly pedaled super hard to sprint ahead of everyone.

As he launched his attack, he gave his dad, Scott, a high five! This became one of the most shared and happy moments of this year’s Tour de France.

And here’s the best part: his parents said it was totally unplanned.

• Quinn’s mom (Holly) and dad (Scott) had just flown in from the USA that day.
• They put their own bikes together.
• Scott wanted to ride a little to loosen his legs after the long flight.
• He thought: "If Quinn is going to attack, it’ll probably be right around here" — on a small hill about 35 km from the finish in Chalon-sur-Saône.
• Sure enough, Quinn came speeding up attacking and pulling ahead. Scott said, "Whoa!"
• Quinn was surprised too — his parents had told him they’d be at the finish, not on the route!
• Scott said Quinn stuck his hand out for a high five. Scott thought, "I don’t know if this is the place for that!" but stuck his hand out at the last second and they pulled it off.

Important Point: The high five between Quinn and his dad was a complete accident and not something they planned ahead of time!

A Family on Two Wheels

Scott (Simmons Sr.) was so popular after that moment that reporters wanted to interview him before stage 13 in Dole.

Bike racing is now a family thing:

• Quinn’s younger brother Colby is also a pro racer on the WorldTour (top level) with the US team EF Education-EasyPost.
• Colby was getting ready for the Tour of Poland back home in Durango, Colorado.
• Scott said: "It’s incredible how much work they put in, the sacrifice they make. I’m real proud."
• The parents didn’t plan to raise bike racers. Scott said the goal was to "raise them to be tough."

Some cool Quinn facts:

• He finished a 100-mile trail called the White Rim at just 6 years old.
• He’s done 4 Tour de France races and always shows stamina (never giving up) and attacking spirit.
• He helps his Lidl-Trek team as a teammate.
• This year, he got 2nd place on stage 4 (his best ever tie) behind his team captain Mads Pedersen.

Young Quinn’s Tour Boredom

His parents never imagined they or Quinn would be at the Tour de France.

• They were mountain bikers (riding on dirt trails), not road bikers.
• Scott was an elite mountain bike racer and skied in the mountains.
• Funny story: Scott used to watch the Tour years ago (like in the Lance Armstrong days).
• Quinn would beg him to turn it off and get mad about watching the Tour!

How Quinn got into road biking:

1. He joined a local group ride in Durango called "Tuesday Night Worlds."
2. Scott said they "try to beat each other up" (ride super hard).
3. First time Quinn went, he did great and loved the speed and competition.

The First Time Quinn Beat His Dad

Scott remembers the first time Quinn dropped him (rode away and left him behind):

• It was after a big dinner at a friend’s house.
• They went for a ride, Quinn took off.
• Scott tried to keep up and "lost my lunch" (felt sick)!
• Quinn was about 13.
• They had a fun game: "wearing the leader’s jersey" for whoever was stronger that day.
• Eventually, Scott lost the jersey for good.

The Simmons family travels to France to watch Quinn:

• They use a little van and sleep on the side of the road.
• Scott joked: "The Tour life is kind of like following the Grateful Dead back in the day" (a band people traveled to see).
• Holly laughed and said: "Don’t print that, it makes us look old!"

The family is tough and loves adventure:

• The parents ride "close to 10,000-foot [3,000 meter] days" (really big climbs).
• They see Quinn zoom by in his national champion’s jersey — way faster than them.
• Scott says the kids make fun of their slow average speed, so they don’t look at it!

Summary

Quinn Simmons, the US champ, surprised his dad Scott with a high five during a race attack at the Tour de France — totally by accident. His family loves biking and adventure, even though they never planned for Quinn to be a road racer. From watching the Tour as a bored kid to beating his dad at 13, Quinn’s journey shows a tough, fun family on two wheels.

FAQ

Q: Who is Quinn Simmons?
A: He is the US national champion in road bike racing and has ridden the Tour de France four times.

Q: Was the high five with his dad planned?
A: No! His parents said it was totally unplanned. They told him they’d be at the finish, not on the route.

Q: How did Quinn get into road biking?
A: He joined a local group ride called Tuesday Night Worlds in Durango, Colorado, and loved the speed and competition.

Q: What is the "leader’s jersey" game?
A: It was a fun family game where Scott and Quinn pretended the stronger rider that day "wore the leader’s jersey" until Quinn beat him for good at about age 13.