Yates targets Giro and Tour
SIMON Yates plans to race both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France this year but is yet to decide which will be his primary target as he looks towards the Tokyo Olympics.
The 28-year-old from Bury is waiting for full details of the Giro route to be revealed before making a final call.
“The Tour is looking difficult already,” Yates said. “I’m hoping for a better Giro course. With so many time trial kilometres (the Tour) is not a perfect course for me.”
If pink becomes his goal, Yates will then target stage wins at the Tour in order to arrive in Tokyo in the best possible condition for the Olympic road race - due to take place on July 24, less than a week after the Tour finishes in Paris.
“For me personally it’s to do with the Olympics,” the Team BikeExchange rider said.
“I won’t target both. I’ll just do one for (the general classification) and we’ll go from there.”
Yates made the Giro his primary focus last year but his bid for pink ended abruptly when he contracted coronavirus during the race and was forced to withdraw.
He had gone into the Giro in superb form after beating Geraint Thomas to win Tirreno-Adriatico, but suffered in the early mountain test.
After testing positive Yates spent almost two weeks in isolation.
“During the race I didn’t really feel anything,” he said. “It started with a headache and a little fever but once I was taken to Varese I started to get worse.
“After a few days I started to feel better again and after maybe 12 days I had another test which came back negative so I was free to go home.”
Yates underwent tests last month to ensure he was not suffering any lingering effects from the virus, but the loss of offseason training has left him short of full fitness.
“I’ve got some work to do, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “But we have time so I’m not overly concerned.”
As Yates eyes a relatively light start to the season, he is wondering when he might first come up against twin brother Adam. The pair have spent the last seven years as team-mates, but Adam left this winter to join Ineos Grenadiers.
“This first camp now is the first time I’ve not been with him,” Yates said.
“We went to Gran Canaria for a training camp in December so it’s only just these last two weeks he’s not been here.
“It’s been a bit different but it’s fine. Everybody tries to make the comparison, but it’s fine.