"I had to do my job early cause some guys weren't in position" - Adam Yates hints at Juan Ayuso's tactics on Galibier

Adam Yates' performance on the Galibier climb was more than disappointing and this morning before the race he wanted to blame his teammate Juan Ayuso for being left early. Surprisingly, he didn't spend much time in the lead, much less than the Spaniard and João Almeida, who was Tadej Pogacar's best teammate yesterday.

Yates, third overall last year, was asked before the fifth stage about the circumstance of being left early from the group of favorites and seemed to hint at it being partly Ayuso's fault in statements collected by ITV Cycling colleagues:

"I had to do my job early cause some guys weren't in position. That's how it is, I know my job I know my role and I'm happy to do it."

Then he was asked directly about the way Juan Ayuso raced, and Yates threw a few words of caution to the wind: "Everyone knew the plan and everyone knew their role, it's not easy to be in front when you need to be, but I guess it comes with experience, as long as the boss finishes the stage it doesn't matter what order we go."

Joxean Fernández Matxín, UAE Team Emirates' conciliatory manager, said yesterday on Cope after the stage that Yates had sacrificed himself by pulling earlier and that Ayuso and Almeida had decided to take short relays because of the strong headwind on the climb when asked about the Portuguese rider's gesture to the Spaniard to go forward.

Matxin said at the end of the stage: "What happened is that since it was a headwind, it was better that they both relayed, it was better to save each other and go faster, it was a very smart decision. A rider like Adam Yates who was third, who was leader, who won a stage and Tour de Suisse that's a team concep. Riders like Ayuso and Almeida, who I've known since cadets, who I've known forever, to be honest from the beginning... I'm happy and proud of the people more than the professionals."