"It's better to stop than to prolong the suffering" - Adam Yates on his brother Simon's lack of motivation to continue pro cycling

No-one will know Simon Yates better than his twin brother Adam, and after the retirement of the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider, his brother has spoken about the decision for the first time, sharing insight on the Giro d'Italia winner's lack of motivation to remain in the peloton.

It was a decision that hit the spotlight in the first days of January, and took over Visma's media day, with most riders and managers being questioned on the decision, which came at an unusual timing when plans were being drawn up for the team's leaders.

After winning the 2025 Giro, Yates also went on to win a stage at the Tour de France, which ended up being his final Grand Tour. However, this was a decision that was for the best, Adam argues.

“Not really [been talking to him]. We've been riding for other teams for a while now. It's especially nice to see him enjoying life. Simon spends a lot of time in the gym to get a stronger physique. I haven't seen him in a while, but I'm curious to see how strong he's become," he joked in an interview with Wielerflits.

At age 33 and seeing his role in the peloton diminish, it could be argued that Adam could be heading down the same path, as he now settles into a domestique role at UAE who is supporting the likes of Tadej Pogacar, João Almeida and Isaac del Toro. But he assures that is not going to be the case, at least for the time being.

“I really still enjoy cycling and I still have a contract until the end of 2028. I want to keep racing until then at least," he responded.

"If you enjoy it, you should keep doing it as long as you can. However, Simon wasn't enjoying it anymore, and that's just the way it is. If you're happy with what you've achieved and can accept your career, then you can stop and enjoy the rest of your 'normal' life.”

However, he shared that his brother was simply not finding the motivation to get going with the new season and carry on in a peloton in which the demands are increasing by the year. He has talked to him since the decision, and has responded to the question:

"A few times, yes. But I was in Australia, and because of the different time zones, it wasn't always easy to talk much. He said he wasn't feeling it anymore and wasn't very motivated. That was it. In those cases, it's better to stop than to prolong the suffering".

We've been doing this for a long time; we've been pros since 2014 and have been riding bikes since we were 8 or 9. Sometimes you get tired of something, then you have to change it and enjoy it," he justifies.