Simmons is getting suspended for violating terms of conduct re: sponsorship agreements regarding decorum and respect, and he did it with his Trek social media account and he was interacting with a cycling journalist. Add that he used a specific emoji that is not the default selection in a general context, he created the appearance of intent. And that’s enough to be a breach of conduct according to his race team. He’s obviously welcome to contest his suspension if he feels it is unjust.

Not smart to say the least.