"I threw all my cards on the table, but Jay was also strong" - Simon Yates on his second place finish in the Tour Down Under stage 3

Simon Yates ended up in second place in the third stage of the Tour Down Under, with Pello Bilbao coming out victorious. His hard work has paid off, as he now holds the third position in the overall classification.

He had hoped to come out victorious, but the final climb and Bilbao scuppered his chances. "I'm really disappointed by that," he said in the post-race interview.

He further added, "I threw all my cards on the table, but Jay was also strong. As a result, there was little room to launch another attack. We worked well together until the line, but I knew Bilbao was fast. I still tried to go around him in the sprint, and it was very close. I really wanted to win the stage."

Michael Matthews is no longer a top choice, leaving Yates as the only team member who can aid in achieving their GC ambition. "Vine looked really strong today, as did his team.If you don't try, you won't know. So we will look at the situation as it stands. There are two more important days coming up, so it's not finished yet," concluded Yates.