"I don't know how many years I can keep going at this level" - Adam Yates targeting Giro d'Italia as potential final chance to win a Grand Tour

After two seasons being one of Tadej Pogacar's most important lieutenants at the Tour de France, in 2025, Adam Yates gets the chance to hunt Grand Tour glory for himself at the Giro d'Italia. As it turns out, the opportunity is one the Brit asked for himself, as he sees time running out for him to win a Grand Tour.

"I would like to do the Giro for myself personally, I asked Joxean Matxin [UAE head sports director] if I could do it one more time because I've only done it one time in my career," Yates revealed to Cycling News at the UAE team training camp in Benidorm, Spain. "I've been at a high level for the last two years, and I said to him: 'I don't know how many years I can keep going at this level. So I need to go back and try one more time, and see what I can do.' I also think I've reached another level, not just in performances but also in my consistency. And when you have this kind of level it's logical you can target some big races."

It must be noted that Pogacar himself has not been officially ruled out of Giro contention just yet. But regardless of whether or not the Slovenian defends his Maglia Rosa, in the confirmed Yates and Juan Ayuso, UAE bring multiple potential winners. "We've seen in the past that it makes sense. If we have more than one guy, I don't think it matters who's leading, or co-leading as long as we don't make any mistakes and we try to perform at a high level," Yates says, admitting it can't be easy to keep all the top riders happy. "It's not up to me, is it? It's up to Matxin. He's the magician with the calendar, so for him, it's not an easy job. But I think in the last two seasons we've done very well, we've won a lot of races, and even if we've not won, we've been up there fighting with one or two guys. It's not an easy environment to be in, but it's an environment where you grow as a rider, you try to push yourself. You try to be the best you can be to perform and that's how it is."

Notably in 2025, his brother Simon Yates is joining UAE's main rivals, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, as the twins renew rivalry following their thrilling battle for the Maillot Jaune on the opening stage of the 2023 Tour de France. "I'm super-happy for him," Adam says of his brother's move. "He's been in the same team for his whole career. I've changed teams twice and it's not easy to always perform straightaway, so it's a big change for him. But I'm happy for him. As long as he keeps his focus, I'm sure he'll have a good season."

As Yates found when moving to UAE, the right transfer can significantly improve your level. As such, he has no plans to leave anytime soon. "If you're at a high level and you're motivated, and you feel young you can keep going forever, can't you?" he says. "Of course, there may come a point where you're not enjoying it so much and you're getting your head kicked in, and maybe you'd start thinking about shutting it down. But for now I feel young and ready to go, so I'm not crossing anything out."