Simon Yates is a one of the new stars of British Cycling, alongside his twin brother Adam Yates.
Both brothers ride for the Australian outfit Mitchelton-Scott. In 2018, Simon was to lead the team at the Giro d’Italia and will take the honours again at the Vuelta a España, alongside Colombian team-mate Esteban Chaves. His brother will represent the team at the Tour de France.
Yates' attack on the Giro impressed the established GC stars, after he moved into the Maglia Rosa on stage six - extending his lead to enter the final week with a 2-11 time gap ahead of defending champion Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb).
He fell out of contention, however, on stage 19 - when he wasn't able to stay with the pace of the GC leaders as Chris Froome attacked to assume the position of pink jersey wearer.
Simon Yates' 2019 season
Yates surprised many this season by claiming his first win in an individual time trial at Paris-Nice. This put him in good stead for another attack upon the GC at the Giro. However, it was the individual time trial on stage 9 that was his undoing. He lost over 3 minutes to eventual winner Primoz Roglic. After several attempts to claw back time, he finished 8th overall.
The Brit rode in support of his brother Adam at the Tour de France. However, after Adam lost significant amounts of time in GC, free reign was given to Simon and he claimed two stage wins. This marked the end of Yates' season, with many surprised that he didn't return to the Vuelta to defend his title.
Simon Yates's 2018 season
Yates' 2018 season got off to a strong start, with second place and stage victory in Paris-Nice in March followed swiftly by a stage victory and fourth overall at Volta a Catalunya later the same month.
The big, first target for the season, though, was the Giro d'Italia in May. Yates headed into the race as co-leader with Colombian Esteban Chaves - though Chaves moved into a domestique role when he lost 25 minutes on stage 10.
Yates started well, putting in one of his best performances against the clock to place seventh in the opening time trial in Israel.
He then edged his way up the top 10 with a series of good rides on the hillier stages on Sicily, before placing second on Mount Etna on stage six behind team-mate Chaves to claim the overall race lead. his first GC leader's jersey in a Grand Tour.
Yates' form didn't fade in the coming days - stamping his authority on the race with wins on the summit finishes of stage nine and stage 15.
Yates didn't have to wait long for redemption. Supported by his brother and with learning's from the Giro, he led Michelton-Scott again in the Vuelta. He remained calm in the first week and took the leaders jersey on stage nine, before losing it to Jesús Herrada on stage 12. With a stage win on stage 16, he extended his lead during the ITT and stage 19. His victory is a accumulation of podiums and close calls.
Simon Yates's 2017 season
After missing out in 2016 due to an admin error that saw him banned for using prohibited substances, Simon Yates set out with the aim replicating the success of his brother in the 2017 Tour de France.
The Brit wanted a top ten finish on the GC - a feat he managed - along with taking home the white young rider's jersey with a wide lead of over two minutes on his nearest competitor, Louis Meintjes.
Yates moved into the white jersey after five stages, and subsequent stages saw him tighten his grasp on the honour, with competitors falling further behind on the overall standings.
Simon Yates is no stranger to success. He claimed the world title in the points race at the 2013 Track World Championships and won a stage of the 2013 Tour of Britain, riding for the Great Britain team, and went on to finish the race in third place overall.
Third place in the 2014 British road race national championships behind Sky duo Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift the week before the Tour start showed he had recovered sufficiently from a fractured collarbone sustained at the Tour of Turkey in April to perform at the top level.
Watch: Show us your scars - Simon Yates
Yates was a last-minute selection by Orica-GreenEdge to ride in the 2014 Tour de France, making him the only English rider to line up in Leeds for the Grand Depart.
In April 2016, Yates was banned for 4 months due to an in-competition test. He tested positive for terbutaline. It was revealed by his team that a doctor had failed to apply for a therapeutic use exemption. This ultimately meant Yates was forced to miss the Tour de France that year.
Major results:Points race world champion 2013 | Tour of Britain stage 6 2013 | Vuelta a España stage 6 2016 | Vuelta a España 2018 | Tour de France stage 12 & 15 2019
