Romain Bardet claims Yates brothers hold key to Pogacar-Vingegaard duel: "They are approaching the Tour de France in a different mindset"

We are now just a matter of days away from the biggest race on the cycling calendar in 2025, the Tour de France. Once again, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are widely viewed as the two main contenders for the Maillot Jaune, but according to recently retired Romain Bardet, the key to the duel this year, could be in their super domestiques.

In particular, Bardet sees the roles of twin brothers turned rivals - Adam Yates and Simon Yates - as a potentially decisive factor in the battle between UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "From the outside it seems that they are in a different dynamic," Bardet begins in conversation with TNT Sports, having taken up a different role for the 2025 Tour de France - reporting from the back of the TV motorbike.

Whilst the Yates brothers have gone up against each other in the past at the Tour de France, most notably being embroiled in a two-up sprint for the stage win and the Maillot Jaune on the opening day of the 2023 edition, this year, with them both key teammates of Pogacar and Vingegaard, they are direct rivals in a different kind of way.

For Visma's Simon Yates, the form is good. The Brit enters the Tour off the back of his second career Grand Tour triumph at the Giro d'Italia earlier this year. "Simon has probably had one of the best moments of his career in the Giro. The hype here, joining Visma it’s proved to be such a good environment for him," says Bardet, who himself rode the Giro. "I think he’s in the group for a reason, he’s there as the 'joker', amongst Sepp Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson and Jonas, they are one of the strongest climbing squads in the race. I think he’s already fulfilled his expectations for the season with the Giro. They really want to try to win with Visma, with Jonas."

"For Adam, he’s a bit more used to the [domestique] role. Maybe it didn’t go exactly how it planned to be in the Giro for him [12th-placed finish], so it depends on how physically he will recover because the Giro was pretty tough in the last week," continues the Frenchman. "I’m not saying it’s a revenge to take, but I think he can achieve a much higher level than he had in the Giro."

Adam Yates has proven himself a star domestique for Pogacar in the past, even finishing on the podium of the Tour in the process. Similar levels will be expected of him this time around Bardet feels.

"He will be one of the last guys, with Joao Almeida, to pull for Pogacar on the climbs, and in this situation, once Pogacar is gone, then maybe he can catch some wheels and also achieve a super high general classification and even a podium. He has the physical ability to do so," concludes Bardet's assessment. "I would say mentally they are approaching the Tour de France in a different mindset."