"I wanted to join a team that knew how to win grand tours" - Simon Yates' gamble to join Visma payed off big time

Simon Yates has ridden several Grand Tours contesting for overall wins, and he is one of the riders with the largest gaps between first and second victory. Seven years after the 2018 Giro heartbreak and comeback at the Vuelta a España, he has won once again the year he moved into Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

"Since I turned pro, I've dreamed of winning the biggest races. The Grand Tours are the pinnacle of our sport," he said in an interview following the confirmation of his GIro win. It was a victory of consistency, a great final performance on the Colle delle Finestre and strong tactics.

"I fell in love with this race in 2018, and you know I've had my ups and downs here. But it's a race that kept calling my name, and I can't believe I've won it now. It's a dream come true." In 2019 he entered with full confidence but rode to eighth. In 2020 and 2022 he abandoned the race whilst in 2021 he finished third.

After two years without competing in the Corsa and focusing on the Tour de France, the Briton returned to the race that suits him best and motivates him the most. "We all have doubts about whether we're on the right path. I've had a lot of setbacks, not just in this Giro, where I thought: it's time to quit; maybe I should do something else. But I kept going, and this year turned out to be my year. I haven't had any bad luck, which I did in the past."

And his move to Visma proved to be decisive in this career-changing victory. "I just needed a change. I wanted to join a team that knew how to win grand tours. They have succeeded with several riders, and my choice seems to have paid off. But I don't regret staying with Jayco for so long. I made friends for life there and created wonderful memories. All my successes, except for this Giro, were achieved there."