Quinn Simmons steals the show on Champs-Élysées with surprise marriage proposal

There was a lot to celebrate on the Champs-Élysées on July 27, the conclusion of the 2025 Tour de France. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) celebrated his fourth yellow jersey and further cemented his status as the greatest cyclist of his generation. Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a bike) finally claimed his long-awaited stage win and his 10th career Tour stage victory. And young Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) emerged as a breakout rider, earning the white young rider’s jersey and an impressive third place overall.

But there were also celebrations of a more personal nature. Many riders were awaited by their loved ones at the end of the Tour de France. Yet few capped off their race quite like American Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) did.

After stepping off his bike, Simmons walked his girlfriend out onto the cobbles of Paris's iconic boulevard. And with Arc de Triomphe looming in the background, he grabbed her hand, dropped to one knee, and pulled out a ring.

She said yes, and jumped into his tired arms. The crowd behind the barriers roared.

For Simmons, the proposal caps off an animated Tour. Earning the nickname “Captain America” for his stars-and-stripes national champion’s jersey, the 24-year-old was a near-constant presence in breakaways and attacking moves throughout July.

He lit up Stage 6 with a daring solo chase, finishing second in what became the best Tour stage result of his career. Later, he added a top-ten finish on Stage 11 and played a key role in multiple breakaways, including a contentious one on Stage 15, where he expressed frustration over what he believed was unfair assistance from a TV motorbike.

The Durango native may not have claimed a stage win, but his performance (and commentary) never faded into the background thanks to his determination to animate the race whenever the opportunity arose. His aggressive tactics made him a regular feature on the live broadcast, and with his proposal, he continued to entertain fans even after the Tour's conclusion.