Quinn Simmons showed his early spring form in Tirreno-Adriatico to take the mountains jersey. However, the American prodigy will not stay in Italy for next Saturday's Milan-San Remo.

Instead, he will rest at his European base in Girona, Spain, before heading to Belgium for the Cobbled Classics.

"Considering what we've done this week, it's too much. I need to rest for the next 10 days until the Classic," Simmons told Cycling News and other reporters in San Benedetto del Tronto.

"Last year was a great race, especially with Jasper winning. But we have to think about the bigger picture. It's a race I would like to do in the future, and it's a race I would like to aim for, but not this year.

Trek-Segafredo started Tirreno-Adriatico with Giulio Ciccone backing him for the overall and stage win. Simons, meanwhile, entered the break of the day on stage 4 in Belante and took the green jersey after racking up mountain points throughout the day. On Saturday's final stage, he had a big day, climbing Monte Carpeña twice.

Weighing in at 75 kg, Simons is a classics specialist, but he pulled away from world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step-Alfavinil) on the steep climbs to score up to 15 points on the summit.

This class leader allowed him to line up in the front row at the start of the final stage with Tadej Pogachar, a recognition of his spring form.

"I was hoping for a stage win and was riding to prepare for the Classic. I didn't win a stage, but it's a good prize. But it's a good prize. I was hoping to be on the podium in a World Tour race like Tirreno.

"Then I realized with my team that keeping the prize was a good idea. I didn't have much to lose by trying. It might look a little strange to see me wearing this jersey. It was a lot of work, but I'm really proud of it.

Simmons spent the week in the spotlight, enjoying the cheers of tifos along the way. Having competed in COVID-19 regulated races for most of his professional career, he said it was a special experience.

"You could probably see on TV how much I was struggling," he said of stage 6.

"It was very hard to put on weight on a climb like that. But after five hours in a breakaway group, I owe it to myself to at least hang in there on the climbs."

"Since turning pro, I haven't done many races where the fans are in, so every time you have people cheering for you, especially on a climb like that, it makes you feel special."

Simmons' performances in Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico confirmed that he has matured over the years and is performing well for the 2022 spring classics.

"We had a slow start to the season, but worked well over the winter with the coaches and the performance director to come up with a plan.

"I've figured out what works for me year after year. If I have a good winter at home, I can get off to a pretty good start. Now I'm hoping to keep that up until the Classic."

Trek-Segafredo's Classic team now includes Marcus Hoelgaard, who impressed at Uno X last spring.

"We are in a good position going into the Classic. Looking at the team, Mads Pedersen was very good in Paris-Nice, and Jasper Steuben is riding quite well."

"There is no doubt that Wout Van Aert will ride well. They have riders who can beat them."