02/08/2024

Simon Yates will add even more depth to Visma | Lease a Bike's climbing squad in next two years

The Brit Simon Yates will be riding for Team Visma | Lease a Bike starting in 2025. The experienced climber has signed a contract that will see him wear yellow and black jersey until the end of 2026.

With a Vuelta a Espana overall victory from 2018, there's no need for lengthy introduction of Yates. The 31-year-old is also a winner of stages at all three grand tours.

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This year he has started with an overall victory at his current team's important sponsor race - the AlUla Tour, after which the 2024 has been mostly a mix of mediocre performances. Regardless, the Brit intended to make a bid for the GC at Tour de France last month. However he quickly had to abandon the idea after losing lots of time in the opening weekend. Later in the race, he was able to recover a bit and finish on the podium of two stages with 12th spot in the final GC on top of it. He'll want to push for more in Visma next year.

Yates excited about joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike in a press communication: "This is a team I have admired for a long time and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to join. I’ve enjoyed much success in my career up to now and I look forward to continuing working hard and contributing to the success of the team."

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For the 31-year-old Brit, it will be the first time he is part of another team in the WorldTour after 11 years in Jayco AlUla. "Despite the great time I have had with my current team, I felt it was time to change teams to keep improving myself and get the most out of myself. I look forward to meeting all my new teammates and staff and hit the ground running in 2025."

"We are very pleased to have convinced someone with such a track record to choose our team," said sports director Grischa Niermann. "He is an excellent climber and a significant boost for our general classification squad. Simon will have the opportunity to go for his own results with us, but he will also be a valuable asset for the team in the mountains. We believe that with our way of working, he can reach an even higher level"