Simon Yates leads Team BikeExchange - Jayco with ultimate goal of winning Vuelta a Espana

Team have started announcing the riders that will be representing them at the Vuelta a Espana this morning and Team BikeExchange was one of them, having two leaders in Simon Yates and Kaden Groves for what will be an ambitious race with a versatile squad.

After a strong set of performances in his Spanish block of racing, which included several wins at the Prueba Villafranca and Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, Simon Yates will be leading the Australian team in an attempt to repeat his past victory of 2018. He's not thrived when it comes to the GC at the Giro d'Italia, but having taken two stage wins he showed he still had his best level.

“I’m looking forward to the Vuelta this year, of course I have great memories from the race after the win in 2018, so it is always special to return," Yates said in a press release. "...After the Giro I had time to recover and re-build and it was good to start back racing again in Castilla y Leon and San Sebastian, so I am feeling ready for the Vuelta now. There’s a lot of climbing, especially in northern Spain and in general, it looks like a really hard and challenging course. We are going there to win, the team has had a great season so far, so the morale is high, and we are all motivated to finish the season off well with this last Grand Tour".

Riding in support of him will be mainly Lucas Hamilton in the mountains, whilst the rest of the team will try and support the Briton as possible, aswell as chasing stage wins and support Kaden Groves. The Australian sprinter is moving out of the team at the end of the season, however with wins at Vuelta a Catalunya and Tour of Turkey earlier in the year, he now faces a higher set of competitors but will have the same goal. Michael Hepburn and Luke Durbridge will do the main protection and leadout work respectively, whilst Lawson Craddock, Kelland O'Brien and Callum Scotson will be providing support in all terrains.

Team BikeExchange - Jayco for Vuelta a Espana: Simon Yates, Lawson Craddock, Luke Durbridge, Kaden Groves, Lucas Hamilton, Michael Hepburn, Kelland O'Brien and Callum Scotson.