“It’s a special race for me, full of good and bad memories" - Can Simon Yates put right past Giro d'Italia heartbreak in first Grand Tour for Visma?

Despite never having won the race, Simon Yates is a rider who has become intertwined into the modern history of the Giro d'Italia. After making the move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike ahead of the 2025 season, can the 32-year-old Brit finally get his hands on the Maglia Rosa in Rome?

Winning six stages of the Italian Grand Tour over the course of his career and finishing on the final podium in 2021, it was back in 2018 that Yates truly made his mark on the Giro d'Italia. Winning three stages, Yates spent 10 days in the Maglia Rosa and looked set to claim what would have been the first Grand Tour win of his career to that point. On stage 19 however, everything changed with Chris Froome launching probably the greatest ride of his career to turn the GC on it's head with a long-range solo, cracking Yates in the process who finished the day nearly 40:00 minutes down on his compatriot, with his Giro dreams in tatters.

“The Giro is my main goal this season, so I’m really looking forward to it,” previews Yates of the 2025 edition of the Corsa Rosa. “It’s a special race for me, full of history and memories — both good and bad. My goal is to achieve the best possible result in the general classification.”

Yates didn't have to wait too much longer for a first career Grand Tour win, taking home the Red Jersey from the Vuelta a Espana just a few months after his dramatic Giro disappointment in 2018. Somewhat disappointingly, though, Yates has managed just one further podium finish since, being a DNF in four of his last seven Grand Tours. Now, with a new team, Yates is refreshed and ready to make his mark once again.

“A lot still feels new and different since my move to a new team — the first time in my professional career — but I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress over the past few months. In both races I’ve done this season, I felt stronger each day," he concludes. "It’s exciting to start my first Grand Tour with Team Visma | Lease a Bike, and I’m highly motivated — not just for my personal goals, but also because we have a very strong team with multiple leaders, allowing us to fight for something in nearly every stage.”