Simon Yates started his season early at the Tour Down Under, but has restarted it this week at Paris-Nice. The Briton has bigger goals up this spring but is taking motivation from an evolving performance in the Race to the Sun.
“Last year these days I was far ahead (he won the final stage of Paris-Nice, ed.), also because I was preparing for the Giro d'Italia," Yates said following the end of the French race.. "Right now I'm building my form, so I'm happy with what I was able to do in this race. I'm going home with what I wanted to achieve." Although Jayco AlUla put in a very strong time-trial, stage 4 to La Loge des Gardes saw Yates shed significant time to the eventual Top3 of the race.
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However, in the two final mountain stages Yates showed a higher level and finished fourth on both days. He also raced to fourth in the overall classification. On the Col d'Èze this Sunday he attacked in the early slopes, but it wasn't possible to move further up the GC.
Early attacks also did not take place, as he explains. "UAE Team Emirates did a great job, so much so that they still have several riders at the foot of the last climb. I tried to see if anything could be done, but the situation was very blocked," Yates concluded. He may eye the Ardennes classics this year before preparing for the Tour de France, but Yates' most concrete goal now comes at the Itzulia Basque Country.
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