"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

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.

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."

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."

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."

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.