Simon Yates & Team Jayco AlUla yet to discuss new deal in contract year: "It does come down to what we're able to spend"

Few riders in the peloton have been as loyal servants to their teams as Simon Yates has for the now-named Team Jayco AlUla. After 10 seasons with the Aussie-based outfit however, the former Vuelta winner is barrelling towards his contract end without new terms having been discussed.

“Simon has been part of the team since he and his brother came into pro cycling. He feels part of the team and has always brought in good results. What he did last year at the Tour de France last year was amazing, and what he did this year at the AlUla Tour was fantastic, so we’d like him to stay on board, and we’d like to keep those discussions open,” Team Jayco AlUla general manager, Brent Copeland, recently explained to GCN. “But we’ve not had a chance yet to sit down and discuss the sporting aspects of what we and him are expecting. That should happen in the next few weeks and I have had a call with his agent to set that meeting up.”

Although the team have been linked with two of Australia's best climbers in Jai Hindley, the former Giro d'Italia winner now looks set to extend with BORA - hansgrohe. Ben O'Connor is another name that's been floated around in relation to Team Jayco AlUla and although the Australian has yet to decide his future, Copeland admits signing two Grand Tour GC contenders is unlikely to be in the team's budget.

“If budget wasn’t an issue I’d say we were very confident of him staying but it does come down to what we able to spend and what we can do to keep him on board," Copeland says of Simon Yates. "With any team, the leader is important when it comes to shuffling the rest of the roster around. Even though you’re talking to different riders, until you lock in that leader, first of all with a budget and then secondly with the characteristics of the riders you want to bring in... it all need to be factored in. There are a lot of knock-on effects depending on when you lock in your leader.”

“We have ten spots available but we have a lot of riders that we want to keep have expiring contracts and the end of the year," Copeland concludes. "We have guys who have been part of the team and the culture since the beginning and if we can find agreements in all areas then we’ll do that.”