The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Yates receptive to Tour return
British star willing to take on rescheduled race
Simon Yates would be up for a return to the rescheduled Tour de France if it goes ahead this summer but for now the British cyclist’s only wish is to ride his bike outside again.
The UCI this week unveiled an ambitious new-look calendar for the WorldTour, looking to squeeze more than 100 days of racing into little more than three months if the coronavirus lockdowns ease sufficiently.
A proposed return at the start of August, with the Tour set to begin on the 29th, offers riders something to target almost three months after racing was suspended.
Before the crisis began, Yates had planned to build his season around the Giro d’Italia – originally scheduled to begin this weekend but now set for October – and the Tokyo Olympics, but will now discuss his next steps with Mitchelton-Scott’s head sport director Matt White in the coming days.
The 27-year-old won two stages of the Tour last year, but has not targeted the general classification since 2017 – something that could now change. “I don’t see why not,” Yates said. “I’m open to anything. I don’t have a preference any more, I just want to get out there and race my bike, and if that’s the Tour that’s what it is.
“I’ve not had much chance to think about it. Right now I just want to get training on the road again.”
Yates is based in Andorra, where residents were only allowed to exercise outside again from the start of this week after more than two months in a strict lockdown.
While most people are not allowed to venture more than two kilometres from home, the 48 professional cyclists who live in the principality have been divided into two groups who can train on alternate days, but only on solo rides at allotted times on specified routes, and for no more than two hours.
Groups have been determined by where riders live, meaning Simon – based up above the ski resort of Canillo – is in the other set to his twin brother Adam, who lives further down the hill.
The 2018 Vuelta a Espana winner added: “They’ve been giving me a hard time, that’s for sure. Not to make any excuses but especially up here at altitude it’s hard work.”