Adam Yates' steady progress towards the Giro d'Italia has continued through the Volta a Catalunya and will now see the Briton head to altitude for three weeks before his first Grand Tour of 2025.
The 32-year-old had a support role in the Volta for his teammate Juan Ayuso. Ayuso is also set for the Giro, but his bid for overall victory in Catalunya came dramatically unstuck on the last stage when the Spaniard was ambushed and outpowered by Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
Yates, meanwhile, is beating his own trail towards May, which, as he told Cyclingnews before stage 7 of the Volta, means he's only going to altitude for the first time this year after Catalunya.
He was victorious for the second year running in the Tour of Oman in February but then fell ill in Tirreno-Adriatico. But a fourth place in Milan-Turin and then a solid block of racing in Catalunya have allowed the Briton to move towards his next goals feeling confident and optimistic.
"I already said at the start of the year that I'd try to take a little bit easier in these first few races, but it's been good," Yates said. "If you get a bit of illness, it takes a bit of the edge off, but that's how it is. These things happen."
Yates recognised that it has been hard, in any case, to get a real sense of his climbing form, given the toughest stage of the Volta had all its climbs removed.
"That was a shame because I was going quite well; also in Tirreno, there was only one mountain stage," he said. "So it's been a weird start to the season, but I'm not stressed about it. I'm in a good place, trying to stay out of trouble, and keeping building towards the Giro d'Italia."
Yates will soon head to Sierra Nevada in Spain for three weeks of altitude training in April before his main goal of the first half of the season in May.
"Many guys have been preparing full gas at altitude, especially now," he pointed out, "but I've been at home, working hard but not going full gas. So I'll just have a short rest, and then I'll start getting ready."
Yates and Ayuso will be backed by a powerful UAE team at the Giro, with Australian all-rounder Jay Vine, winner of two stages last week at Coppi e Bartali, reportedly down to take part, in a lineup that may also include Brandon McNulty and Isaac del Toro.
