Simon Yates (Jayco-AIUIa) hasn’t raced since the end of April but is happy to fly below the radar of the other Tour de France favourites, convinced he has the form and ability to mount an overall challenge and target stages, including the hilly opening stages in the Basque Country.
Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) are the stand-out favourites for the 2023 Tour de France but Yates is part of a select group of other contenders who can fight for a podium spot and be ready to take advantage if Vingegaard or Pogacar struggle or focus too much on each other.
Yates won the 2018 Vuelta a España and was third in the 2021 Giro d’Italia. Despite focusing on the Corsa Rosa in recent years, Yates has ridden the Tour de France five times and finished seventh in 2017.
“If I'm flying under the radar, that's probably better. Maybe it’ll take a little bit of pressure off me. We can go from that,” Yates said on Thursday in Bilbao as he talked about Jayco-AlUla ambitions alongside sprinter and co-leader Dylan Groenewegen.
“My mindset has not really changed from any other Grand Tour I've done. I’m still very focused and I’m coming in after a great period of preparation.”
“It'll be a hard start here in the Basque Country. It's always going to be a stressful start to the Tour but I think maybe it can be a bit more selective than say Normandy or Brittany. Hopefully, that settles things down a bit."
“Once we get further into the race, we can see how I'm doing. It's not difficult to change course and go for a different goal, maybe stages from a breakaway. The options are there, so let's just take it as it comes.”
Yates last rode the Tour de France in 2021 but crashed out on stage 13. A decision to return this year fitted Jayco-AlUla’s strategy and need to score WorldTour ranking points as well as his own goals.
“I Just wanted to change, I've been going to the Giro for so many years,” he explained.
“It's still a race that I love and I wouldn't mind going back again in the future but I just needed a change, in the way that my season is structured. I was missing some races that I wanted to do in the early part of the year, like Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie. I wouldn’t be able to do those races if I rode the Giro, it was about the whole season.”
Yates is known for his aggressive racing in the mountains and his ability to sprint for victory against stage race rivals. He has 32 victories on his palmares, including two wins at the hilly Prueba Villafranca - Ordiziako Klasika, in the heart of the Basque Country.
This year’s Tour de France starts with two hilly stages that could see the overall contenders fight for the stage victories, the yellow jersey and precious seconds in the overall classification.
“I think they’re stages for any climber,” Yates explained.
“It’s not often you get these stages and a start at the Tour where there is an opportunity to take the jersey if you're aggressive. I'm sure there are many riders who are looking at that as well. It's going to be a hard start, but I think that's also a good thing for me.”
“I really enjoy racing in the Basque Country, it’s always hard and aggressive, and I like getting stuck in."
“Of course we always talk about the Basque fans. I'm expecting a crazy, crazy first few days in the Basque Country. They really love the sport, I’m expecting huge crowds and great racing.”
