Five guys. That’s it. Just five Americans made the start line for the 2025 Tour de France.
If you’re comparing that to the "glory days" of the late 90s or early 2000s, it might feel like US cycling is in some sort of decline. But honestly? You’d be wrong. Quality over quantity isn’t just a cliché here—it’s the literal blueprint of the current American contingent. We aren’t just sending "pack fill" anymore. We’re sending winners.
The 2025 roster—Sepp Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson, Neilson Powless, Quinn Simmons, and debutant Will Barta—represents a shift. It’s less about having 10 guys who might finish and more about having five who can actually wreck a race.
The Visma Powerhouse: Kuss and Jorgenson
The biggest story heading into the 2025 Tour was undoubtedly the return of Sepp Kuss. After that heartbreaking COVID-19 withdrawal in 2024, the "Eagle of Durango" came back to the Grand Boucle with something to prove.
Watching Kuss climb is kinda like watching a masterclass in suffering. He’s the only American in this group with a Tour stage win already on his resume (remember that solo drop on the Col de Beixalis in 2021?), and his role at Visma-Lease a Bike remains the same: be the last man standing for Jonas Vingegaard.
But then there’s Matteo Jorgenson.
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Last year, Jorgenson finished 8th overall. This year, he’s not just a "backup." He’s a legitimate star. Jorgenson is basically the Swiss Army knife of the peloton. He can win Paris-Nice, he can crush the cobbles, and as we saw in the 2025 Tour, he can sit in the top 10 of the General Classification while simultaneously pulling the yellow jersey train.
"Jorgenson is no longer the wildcard – he's one of Visma's most important cards," noted analysts during the first week of the 2025 race.
If Vingegaard has a bad day, Jorgenson is the guy. It’s a wild luxury for a team to have a rider who can pivot from "super-domestique" to "podium threat" in the span of a single mountain pass.
The Stage Hunters: Powless and Simmons
While the Visma boys are busy with the GC battle, Neilson Powless and Quinn Simmons are out there playing a different game.
Powless is the heart of EF Education-EasyPost. He’s already made history as the first tribally recognized Native North American to race the Tour, but in 2025, his focus shifted from the polka dot jersey to pure stage hunting. After winning Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier in the spring, he came into July with the best form of his life.
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It’s frustrating to watch sometimes because he’s always there. Fourth on Alpe d’Huez. Top fives in the breakaways. He’s a rider who relies on "race craft" rather than just raw watts.
Then you have Quinn Simmons.
Simmons is basically the opposite of subtle. The guy races with his heart on his sleeve and usually a massive mullet blowing out the back of his helmet. Coming off a stage win at the Tour de Suisse and wearing the US National Champion's Stars and Stripes jersey, he’s the definition of an "animator."
On Stage 6 of the 2025 Tour, Simmons nearly pulled it off. He finished second in a grueling breakaway finish, proving that his transition from a "classics specialist" to a "Grand Tour stage threat" is almost complete. He’s 23. Let that sink in. Most riders are still figuring out how to stay in the pack at that age.
The Quiet Debut: Will Barta
The fifth man, Will Barta, is the one most casual fans might miss. He’s the "engine."
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Making your Tour de France debut at 29 is a late start, but Barta earned his spot at Movistar through sheer reliability. He’s the guy who spends 150 kilometers on the front of the peloton so his leader, Enric Mas, doesn't have to touch the wind.
Barta’s 80km solo win at Valenciana earlier in 2025 was the "aha!" moment for his team. It showed he has the lung capacity of a blue whale. While he didn't get the personal glory of a podium in Paris, his work in the trenches is what makes the other four Americans' successes possible—it keeps the "respect" for US riders high in the European-dominated peloton.
Why the "LeMond Shadow" is Finally Fading
For decades, every American in the Tour was compared to Greg LeMond. Or... the other guy.
But the 2025 crew feels different. They aren't trying to be the "Next LeMond." They are specialists.
- Sepp Kuss is arguably the best pure climber in the world on his day.
- Matteo Jorgenson is a modern "total cyclist."
- Neilson Powless is a tactical genius in the breakaways.
- Quinn Simmons is a powerhouse built for the hardest days.
We saw this play out in the 2025 results. Kuss finished 17th overall while working for the podium. Jorgenson improved on his 2024 performance, proving he’s a perennial top-10 threat.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to follow the progress of these riders as they move into the 2026 season, here’s how to stay ahead of the curve:
- Watch the Spring Classics: This is where Jorgenson and Powless sharpen their teeth. If they are flying in March, they will be dangerous in July.
- Follow the Transfers: Keep an eye on Kevin Vermaerke. He didn't make the 2025 Tour squad for dsm-firmenich, but his blockbuster move to UAE Team Emirates for 2026 (to ride with Pogačar) means the "American Five" will likely become the "American Six" very soon.
- Check the "Velo" Analysis: Bobby Julich and Brent Bookwalter provide the best "inside the bus" perspective on why these guys choose specific stages to attack.
The 2025 Tour de France proved that the US isn't a "cycling nation in waiting" anymore. We're already here. And with riders like Magnus Sheffield and Luke Lamperti waiting in the wings for 2026, those five spots are about to get a lot more competitive.