"I want to see if he's actually getting big in the gym or if he's getting like a big belly": Adam Yates updates on brother Simon and new role
Cycling
Adam Yates is preparing to race the UAE Tour this week, but most people want to talk about his twin brother. Simon Yates shocked the cycling world in January by retiring as the reigning Giro d'Italia champion. According to Adam, his brother is now enjoying a life without the extreme pressure of professional sport, spending his time in the gym instead of on the bike.
It has been over a month since Simon announced he was leaving Visma-Lease a Bike and the sport on a high note. Surprisingly, his brother Adam has not seen him in person since then. "I'm looking forward to seeing him, because I've not seen him for about three or four months now," Adam told Cyclingnews.
Life after racing
Simon is using his retirement to change his body and his lifestyle. Professional cyclists usually avoid upper body muscle, but Simon is now free to do what he wants.
"He's still happy. I mean, he's getting in the gym now, trying to get big in a different way," Adam said. "You know, he's gonna do upper body, and he's gonna work out. He's just trying things that he never had a chance to do as a bike rider."
Simon Yates' sudden retirement shocked the cycling world
Adam admits he is curious to see the results when they finally meet. "I want to see if he's actually getting big in the gym or if he's getting like a big belly from eating and drinking too much."
Reflecting on Simon's career, Adam believes the timing was perfect. After 13 years, Simon won the Giro, the Vuelta, and stages in all three Grand Tours.
"You win the Giro and a stage of the Tour, and to finish it on that high, I think that's a nice way to go out," Adam said. "It's not just a professional career that you do for 10 years or so, we've been riding a bike since we were eight or nine. It's a long time to be doing the same thing... now it's time to call it a day."
Backing "the best horse"
While Simon relaxes, Adam has work to do. He won the UAE Tour in 2020, but this year he is working for his young teammate, Isaac del Toro. When asked if he was targeting the general classification, Adam was clear.
"No, no, I'm not here for GC," he stated. "Obviously, it's a race that suits me on paper, but again, there's a TT that's completely flat. Remco [Evenepoel] is here. He's obviously quite good at them. Isaac's not bad at TTs as well."
Adam explained that the route dictates the strategy. "It's not like there are stages with multiple mountains... Here is more completely flat and a climb at the end. So it's a different kind of dynamic, and here you should back the best horse, and our horse is Isaac."
The sky is the limit
Del Toro finished second to Simon Yates at the Giro last year, and Adam has been impressed by the Mexican's rapid development. "I think he surprised himself [last year], to be honest," Adam noted. "He said he made some mistakes, and he changed some things with the training, and he took a big step."
Adam believes the 22-year-old has a massive future. "He's super smart, Isaac; he knows what he's doing. And when you listen to the body, listen to yourself, and you take advice from other people – you put it all together, and you get the results as he does."
"He's still young, he's got the room to improve, and as long as he keeps his feet on the ground and keeps working hard, then the sky's the limit," he concluded.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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