Yates set for Vuelta crowning in Madrid

BRITAIN’S Simon Yates all but secured the Tour of Spain overall title on Saturday ahead of the final day ‘parade’ to Madrid, meaning British riders will have won all three of cycling’s Grand Tours this season.

The astonishing victory for the 26-year-old MitcheltonScott team rider is a form of redemption after he led the Giro d’Italia for two weeks in May, only to lose over 40 minutes on the 19th stage – vowing however to “come back stronger”.

His success follows that of Sky’s Chris Froome in the Tour of Italy in May while another member of the Sky team Geraint Thomas won the Tour de France in July.

Interviewed after the race Yates said his virtually secured victory had not sunk in.

“I truly didn’t believe I could pull it off, especially after what happened at the Giro,” he said. “I was nervous a the beginning of the stage you just never know what can happen – a very ferocious day.”

“But the team was fantastic, I had support until the very last moment with Adam,” he said of his twin brother who rides for the same team.“British cycling has come a long way in ten years. And I hope to continue this trend.”

Yates was third on the day in a short but mountainous run behind the 20th stage winner, Quick Step’s 23-year-old Enric Mas, and Astana rider Miguel Angel Lopez, just 24, who climbed onto the virtual podium in second and third place 1min 46sec and 2min 04sec off the Briton’s pace.

The men who had been second and third overnight Spanish veteran Alejandro Valverde and Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk, both struggled on the final climb and fell to fifth and fourth respectively.

The disappointment in Spain at Valverde dropping from second to finish off the podium on what could be his final chance, was made up for with the euphoria at the emergence of Mas, who was fourth in the Tour de Suisse this year.

“Of course it’s painful to drop from the podium at the last hurdle,” Valverde admitted. “But when you give everything you can give you can’t ask more, my rivals were stronger.”

Barring disaster, Valverde was set to win the green points jersey, and with no hills on Sunday’s stage Lotto Soudal rider Thomas De Gendt was to take the polka dot climbers title.

French climber Thibaut Pinot, who won two mountain stages on this Vuelta, came sixth, Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran seventh and Movistar man Nairo Quintana, the pre-race favourite, finished eighth.