"He just doesn't like that attention. He just loves getting it done" - Former DS on big reason why Simon Yates won Giro

Simon Yates has just won the Giro d'Italia, in the exact opposite way that he was close to achieving in 2018. At the time he won several mountain stages, spent a lot of time in the race lead; but his former DS Matt White argues that it was being in the shadows that really helped him this time around.

“The thing he did very well was that he was undercover for the whole race, that’s the way he loves to ride. He didn’t take the jersey, he didn’t win a stage," White, former DS of Team Jayco AlUla in the years Yates was racing in the team jersey, shared with CyclingWeekly. 

"He got through all of the crashes and the dangerous stages in the first half of the race. He didn’t ride a super-aggressive race until Saturday, he was sitting in a nice position.”

White knows that the Briton is a rider that likes to be away from the spotlight and someone who likes co-leadership in a team (often he had a few support riders at the Tour de France, with the team putting just as much focus on the sprint blocks). A rider that thrives in the shadows, away from the spotlight, and that is exactly what happened here.

“The worst thing that could have happened to Simon is if he'd taken the jersey after 10 days, he just doesn't like that attention," White argues. With Primoz Roglic, and the constant buzz surrounding UAE Team Emirates - XRG and it's leaders, Yates was still relatively under the radar despite his very favourable position into the second week of the race.

Even in the final week, it was Richard Carapaz who had the full focus from most as the rider who would attack Isaac del Toro after his prowess in San Valentino, stage 16. Yates lost time on stages 17 and 19, but ultimately that may have played into his favour, as he entered the queen stage and the Colle delle Finestre still away from the spotlight.

With this, he put in the ride of a lifetime to conquer the Giro d'Italia. Even within the team, he was often overshadowed by Wout van Aert, but this also played into his favour.

"He just loves getting it done and that is his perfect race. His team were winning stages with him just staying there, and now he's just won the Giro without even winning a stage.”