Joe Kinsey
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Emotions boiled over in the world of cycling where Team Trek-Segafredo has suspended 19-year-old Quinn Simmons for what it’s calling “divisive” comments. There were apparently two tweets that sent Team Trek-Segafredo over the edge, including a tweet where Simmons wrote “bye” and included a dark-skinned waving emoji on a tweet from Dutch journalist Jose Been that read “If you follow me and support Trump, you can go.”
In another tweet, Quinn responded, “that’s right [American flag icon]” to a guy who determined Quinn to be a “Trumper.”
And it is officially ON in the world of cycling. People are picking their sides and the woke cycling community is full of rage towards Quinn, who won the 2019 world junior road race championships.
“Trek-Segafredo is an organization that values inclusivity and supports a more diverse and equitable sport for all athletes,” the team said in a statement. “While we support the right to free speech, we will hold people accountable for their words and actions.
“Regrettably, team rider Quinn Simmons made statements online that we feel are divisive, incendiary, and detrimental to the team, professional cycling, its fans, and the positive future we hope to help create for the sport.
“In response, he will not be racing for Trek-Segafredo until further notice.
“The team and its partners will work together to determine how we will move forward and keep fans and the public informed as to the decisions made in the matter.”
According to Fox News, Been “wrote that she felt ‘horrible’ about it and that she wouldn’t have wanted Simmons to be suspended.” Been has since deleted her Twitter account.
And just like that, Been is gone and Simmons has been dropped by his cycling team. In case you haven’t noticed, election season is in full swing. Wild times out there.
New suit for my first day at work! 🇺🇸 @TrekSegafredo pic.twitter.com/SBs6rRJKst
— Quinn Simmons (@QuinnSimmons9) January 1, 2020
I like talented young bike racers as much as anyone, but I refused to cheer for anyone who supports a racist, hateful fascist like @QuinnSimmons9 does. I am officially rooting for everyone else. pic.twitter.com/FvYavmNULl
— Peter Flax (@Pflax1) September 30, 2020
“While we support the right to free speech”, unless you have a different opinion than the left. This culture war isn’t going to end well.
Yeah really. What a bunch of tools. There’s millions of people that see NOTHING wrong with that one-sentence contradiction either. Absolutely pathetic and sad.
Leftist rage, chapter 1234…
This is getting ridiculous. Who gets to accept what is acceptable/unacceptable discourse and can it ever be evenly applied?
Also, why do you need a team? If that’s what they choose to do (be petty and suspend him) that is fine as long as he can join another team or race independently. If they are not going to let him race at all then it’s definitely a bridge too far.
Sounds like a good basis for a class action lawsuit for a hostile workplace…
Marxist and communism and at best. This is how first steps toward Russia, China and North Korea.
Thank you for the article Joe Kinsey. Hope Quinn gets to race on another team if not for the Trek-Segafredo team. He is only 19 and likely needs his agent/legal support to find some sort of resolution to this craziness.
So “bye” now qualifies as “incendiary”. Got it. And who is Peter Flax?
So Trek now only wants customers who hate Trump? This is so insane.
Totally agree. Completely ridiculous.
Apparently, “divisive” only applies to conservative views.