The rider

Sean Quinn is the glue in EF's Tour squad, a Los Angeles-born former US champion whose value comes from being useful in more situations than his headline role suggests. He can climb well enough to support Carapaz and Healy deep into selective stages, punch hard enough to chase his own opportunities, and work patiently enough to keep the team's attacking leaders positioned before the race opens. In a squad built around controlled chaos, Quinn is one of the riders who keeps the chaos pointed in the right direction.

His racing at the Tour of the Alps showed the aggressive edge EF like from him, but his second Tour asks for balance. Some days he will be a domestique in the cleanest sense: fetching, pacing, covering and disappearing from the results sheet. Other days, especially on hilly transitional terrain, he can be part of the move that gives EF numbers up the road. His stated goal, to do what the day requires to the best of his ability, sounds simple because it is the exact discipline his role demands.

Quinn's importance grows when the race gets untidy. Carapaz and Healy can make spectacular choices, but spectacular choices need teammates who handle the connective work around them. Quinn can close gaps before they become crises, shepherd a leader after a mechanical, or stay calm when a plan changes mid-stage. He may not be the name casual fans circle first, yet EF's more famous attacks will be easier to launch if Quinn has already done the careful, unglamorous part.