• Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Video The number two in the UAE-Emirates pecking order after super champion Tadej Pogacar is still Adam Yates. In recent years, the 31-year-old Briton sometimes seemed to remain in the sub-top of the climbers, but still took the step to the absolute top. On the one hand, in the shadow of Pogacar, but if it depends on Yates, that will only happen in the Tour in 2024. After all, he wants to win as much as possible, starting with the Tour of Oman this week.
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Adam, you like a season start in the Middle East?
“Last year I found it difficult to start the UAE Tour with the fans. So I asked the team itself if I could ride here in Oman, as preparation and to get used to the speed of the peloton and to gain some competition rhythm. I had a good training camp in Sierra Nevada. You never really know where you stand after such a long training period. Training and racing are different things, but I feel good.”
Last year was the season in which you switched from INEOS Grenadiers to UAE Emirates. It seems like you liked it.
“It was a good year for me, yes. I immediately started well in the UAE Tour. Then I had some bad luck with a heavy fall in the Tour of Catalonia. Luckily I recovered quickly for the rest of the season. I think I’ve been riding very consistently. That was something I struggled with in previous years, so a very good season for me. This year I want to improve myself and achieve more.”
Victory in the GP of Montréal, Tour de Romandie, the Tour podium and a stage win: was it actually your best season ever?
“If you look at the quality of the wins, you can say that. I’m not getting any younger, so I really hope to take that step higher again.”
You clearly remain ambitious. How is it possible to continue growing at 31?
“Not so long ago, riders peaked from the age of 28 to, say, 32. It is only a recent phenomenon that the young riders who come over immediately start winning. I still feel like I’m getting better every year. It’s just becoming increasingly difficult, because the general level also continues to increase. The driving is faster and faster. It’s not easy, but as long as I keep working hard and tinkering with myself, you never know what that will bring.”
Yates en Pogacar in de Tour van 2023 – photo: Cor Vos
What are aspects that make you better?
“The team change will certainly have played a role. A good environment, a good plan, taking the ideal nutrition at the right time: these are all extremely important aspects of being a racing driver in 2024. But on the other hand, I believe that growing older does not only bring disadvantages. I now know better what I can do. I also know what things work for me and what I should definitely not try. And maybe that will make the difference in reinventing myself.”
However, people thought: what is Yates going to do in a team where he will always have to lose out to Pogacar?
“(laughs) In the team they always knew that I would be more than just a super servant. At my best, I reach a really high level. And I can simply win matches that suit me. Like here in Oman. There are some stages that suit me and I want to win straight away.”
Is winning a Grand Tour still high on your wish list?
“Of course, why not? I still feel good and feel that I am riding at a super high level. I will normally get my chance in the Vuelta later in the year. It will all depend on how fresh I am after a tough Tour. You never know. If you tell yourself that you can never win, then you better not start. If you believe, a lot is possible.”
Does the fact that Tadej is riding the Giro increase your chances as leader in the Tour?
“No, the Tour is all about Tadej. My goal doesn’t change from this year: I will try to be the last man in the mountains for him. But we will be there with a very good team in general.”
So you are no longer a co-leader, as you were sometimes called last year?
“If there is an opportunity to maintain my position in the rankings, then why not? You can always put some extra pressure on the other teams. But that depends on the circumstances, the stages. You can’t actually predict that.”
In Montreal, Yates also added a classic victory – photo: Cor Vos
You proved that last year…
“Indeed, last year was a very nice way for me to start the Tour with the yellow jersey and a stage win. It was a small plan, but it ultimately makes a big difference in the way we race in the rest of the three weeks. If we can match that and keep myself on board in the rankings for as long as possible, you can change the way other teams race. That can work to our advantage later.”
How well do you and Tadej know each other?
“We have a good bond, even though we don’t ride together much. But when we’ve been out together, we’ve done it right every time. He is super easy to work with. Wherever he participates, he goes full gas. When I’m in front of him, you’ll never hear him say anything like ‘slow down’ or ‘go easy’ (laughs). It’s more like ‘more, more, more.’ That also motivates me to put even more force on the pedals.”
In the meantime, the team continues to strengthen, with the addition of new top talent Isaac Del Toro. Did he impress in training camp?
“I didn’t see him much there, but we already saw how good he was in the Tour Down Under. The team has a lot of good guys. Not just those young, new guys, but the team as a whole. In the Tour of Valencia you also saw that Brandon McNulty took a step. And when you see other riders in the team winning, it only makes you want to raise your level and contribute to new successes. Hopefully I can start that in Oman.”
Will you continue to take your own chances in this star ensemble?
“In most races where I start, I should normally be the leader. After the Tour of Oman, the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico follow. That is of course a lot of matches in a short time. I hope to find my best legs here, and then we’ll see where we stand.”
2024-02-14 17:30:00
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