Trek-Segafredo has suspended 19-year-old American cyclist Quinn Simmons after he shared a tweet showing his support for President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Trek-Segafredo announced that Simmons would be suspended from the road cycling team's activities and competitions "until further notice."

The Associated Press reports that the drama began on Wednesday when Dutch journalist Jose Been shared a tweet reflecting on the upcoming 2020 U.S. presidential election.

“My dear American friends, I hope this horrible presidency ends for you,” Been wrote, reports Yahoo! “And for us as (former?) allies too. If you follow me and support Trump, you can go. There is zero excuse to follow or vote for the vile, horrible, man.”

Simmons responded on the platform by telling Been that he would unfollow her. The 2019 junior road race world champion tweeted, “bye” along with an emoji of a waving hand with a dark skin tone.

When a different account commented that Simmons was “apparently a Trumper,” the cyclist confirmed the individual’s assumption. “That’s right,” he wrote alongside an American flag emoji.

Following tweets from the public condemning Simmons’ comments and threats to boycott the company, Trek-Segafredo announced the athlete's suspension.

“Trek-Segafredo is an organization that values inclusivity and supports a more diverse and equitable sport for all athletes. While we support the right to free speech, we will hold people accountable for their words and actions,” the statement read.

“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.”

Although Simmons has been pulled from the team, the company is still working on how they will deal with the situation.

“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,” the statement concluded.

Following the announcement about Simmons’ suspension, Been admitted that she regretted sharing the tweet and felt “horrible about the situation and terrible” for Simmons. The journalist has since deleted the original post.

Quinn Simmons
Quinn Simmons of the U.S. and Team Trek-Segafredo during the 72nd Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2020 a 201km race on March 1, 2020, in Kuurne, Belgium. Tim de Waele/Getty Images
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