Simon Yates on buid-up to Giro d'Italia: "You have to stay calm. The race lasts three weeks"

Team BikeExchange - Jayco have been one of the teams that had the most spotlight on the team presentation this wednesday in Budapest, as they have Simon Yates who comes in as one of the main favourites to win the race.

In an interview with Wielerflits, Yates has talked about his preparation towards the race and his feelings regarding it. His recent ride at the Vuelta a Asturias was a roller-coaster, with two stage wins but a bad day on the queen stage that saw him crack. "I'm feeling good. I won two nice stages in Spain and I also had a good feeling in my legs. The second day was my first exposure to hot weather. In the past I have often had problems on the first day of the year when it was really hot. That's why I'm not too concerned," he said.

"I had a very good training camp in Andorra and I stayed a bit longer in the build-up to the Vuelta Asturias... But my values ​​are good, both in training and in Asturias. Hopefully I can continue that line in the Giro," he added. 

Yates has been a long-time lover of the Giro, and will be racing it once again this year with the intent of finishing on the podium - although surely the win is the main goal in his mind. "It may sound a bit crazy, but that is mainly having patience. You have to stay calm. The race lasts three weeks," he said, regarding what he has learned over the last few years where he's attempted to win the Giro several times.

He pointed out: "See what happened to myself in 2018. But also last year: I had problems with my hamstrings in the first week. But in the end it turned out okay. In the final week I won another stage and drove myself to the final podium. You always have to keep the whole picture in your head. You actually have to wait until the race comes to you.”

Regarding his main competition in the mountains, Yates mentioned that the race will be very open, he does however have a main target: "Carapaz definitely has the strongest team with INEOS Grenadiers, having won the race before. Then it is normal if you label him the top favourite. But I think there are a lot of us who are competitive. Not just Carapaz, Almeida and myself. It's a long game. We are doing our best and hopefully we can finish on the podium," he concluded.