Adam Yates is proud of new Visma leader Simon but nervously waits for "boss Pogacar"

In a world ruled by Tadej Pogacar, life as a UAE Team Emirates rider isn’t always easy. Even if you’re very talented, earning a leadership spot in the best team on the WorldTour is tough at the moment. Juan Ayuso recently spoke about his role in Team Pogacar during a training camp, and soon after, Adam Yates shared his thoughts as well, in a talk with IDLProCycling.com. The British rider plans to target the Giro d’Italia alongside Ayuso and is eager to make the most of this chance.

The now 32-year-old climber will begin his third year in the service of UAE Team Emirates, a marriage that has so far proved extremely successful. After his breakthrough with GreenEdge Cycling in 2014, Yates eventually rode for the now-called Team Jayco-AlUla until the end of 2020. He then chose to join INEOS Grenadiers, where he won just four times. UAE gave his career a fresh start in 2023, and how. Yates won no fewer than 11 times in two seasons, including overall wins in Romandy, Oman and Switzerland. He also won a stage in the 2023 Tour de France and a stage in the 2024 Vuelta a España.

Yates didn’t just shine on his own — he was also key to Pogacar’s Tour de France victory this year. This was one of the main reasons UAE signed him after his time with INEOS. “I joined to help Tadej win the Tour, but I’ve also improved my own performance and consistency. When you show that, it makes sense to get chances in big races,” Yates says, looking back on his first two seasons with UAE.

The 2024 season started with a tough crash and a concussion during the UAE Tour, but Yates quickly bounced back. “I think I had a good season. I’ve never won six races in one year before, although compared to Tadej (Pogacar won 25 times in 2024, ed.) that doesn't seem like much, haha! For me, it’s a nice result because staying in top shape all year isn’t easy. It took some time to return to my level from the crash, but the rest of the year didn't really bring any setbacks.”

Read more below the photo.

Adam Yates won a stage in this year's Vuelta a España

Adam Yates asked UAE Team Emirates to ride the Giro d'Italia

Yates’ strong results have made him one of UAE’s top leaders, behind Pogacar. This means he can aim for victory in races that the Slovenian skips. Alongside Ayuso, João Almeida is also a key figure in the team. It’s a big deal that UAE agreed to Yates’ request to race the Giro in 2025. “I asked for that myself, because I’ve only done it once before,” he says, referring to his 2017 Giro debut. That year, Tom Dumoulin won the race, and Yates finished ninth. “I wore the white jersey for a while, but I got sick two weeks before the start and lost three kilos. That was not ideal.”

“I wonder what I could do without bad luck,” Yates adds tellingly. Over the years, he has faced setbacks in almost every grand tour since 2014. Although he’s always finished, he’s often struggled to live up to his status as a GC man. “I have always had a lot of setbacks in grand tours, like illness and crashes. If you ride a grand tour without getting sick or falling, that's already unique. It’s always tricky, but hopefully, the Giro goes my way this time. In that respect, I don't like to look back on what has happened, because in this sport you lose more than you win. So you shouldn't dwell too long on your defeats. I rather look back at my victories and what went well, I'll stick to that for the coming season as well."

Yates admits he’s at his peak right now. “That’s why I want to go back to the Giro, to see what I can do there, because I don't know how long I can ride at this level. The Giro should suit me, with a lot of climbs and usually only one flat time trial. Winning a stage in all three grand tours would be nice, but it’s not my main goal. I’m aiming for the overall win, but if that doesn’t work, I’ll go for a stage win. Let’s see what shape I'm going to be in.”

Read more below the photo.

Yates won the first Tour stage in 2023, grabbing the yellow jersey

But what if Tadej Pogacar rides the Giro again?

Yates is ambitious, that much is clear. But like Ayuso, he knows his Giro dream could go up in flames if Pogacar decides to race the Giro-Tour double again. That decision will be made soon, but Yates doesn’t think the team's big leader will race in Italy next May. “If he rides the Giro, he’s the leader. He’s the boss and does what he wants. He already won it last season, so I think it makes sense for him to focus on winning the Tour again.”

A Tour of Italy without Pogi would open doors for others — not just in UAE. “If Tadej doesn't do the Giro, it will be interesting to see who does. Maybe there will be others who will benefit. If I perform well, I think I could be considered one of the favorites. But we'll have to see,” the British Yates says. He’s also fine with sharing leadership duties with Ayuso or Isaac Del Toro in the Giro. “When Tadej races, he’s the only leader. But if he’s not there, UAE always goes with multiple leaders.”

“That makes sense when you consider the crashes and withdrawals we’ve seen the last few years,” Yates explains. “It usually works well if we avoid mistakes. Joxean Matxin plans everything, and it’s not an easy job, no doubt. But the last two seasons went well, and we’ve won a lot when we race with multiple leaders. You just try to be the best version of yourself — that’s all you can do.”

Read more below the photo.

Adam racing for UAE, Simon Yates for Visma | Lease a Bike

Being one of UAE’s leaders in 2024 is a big deal for Yates, who shows no signs of slowing down. “I’m getting older, but I still feel young. It’s harder to reach the highest level every year. I still cycle to win races now. The good thing about getting older is that I know my body very well. I know how it works and when I'm tired. I’ve improved in almost every area, from nutrition to training. I'm much more focused on the details.”

At 32, Yates is almost a veteran in today’s peloton, but he says he isn’t thinking about retirement just yet. “As long as you feel young, strong, and motivated, you can keep going. I’ll only start thinking about ending my career when I lose that motivation. Right now, I don’t feel like that at all. My contract runs until the end of 2025, yes. But I am performing well in the team, so I’d like to stay with UAE after this season. It depends on my performance, also for the team. How long I will continue depends on my level. Retirement isn’t on my mind right now, I think I can keep going for years.”

That's nice, because having the Yates twins in the peloton has always been fun. Now that Simon Yates has moved from Jayco-AlUla to Visma | Lease a Bike, the brothers are racing against each other on two of the best teams in the WorldTour. “I’m super happy for Simon. He spent his whole career with one team, while I’ve already switched teams twice. It’s not easy to perform right after a move. It will be a big change for him, but if he stays focused, he’ll have a great season,” Adam says proudly. He keeps in touch with his brother daily, and also combines his cycling career with a brand-new baby at home. “It’s a big change, but during training camps, there’s not much I can do. We FaceTime a lot, and I’m sleeping much better now, haha!”

Read also

Vermeersch enters the spring season as Pogacar's lieutenant: "It can only be an advantage for me"

Juan Ayuso won’t settle for playing second fiddle to Pogacar: "I want to be the best in the world"

Pogacar gives little hope to the Giro (and Van der Poel and others) with his program choice and bold statements