"The Tour is all about Tadej" - Adam Yates believes UAE Team Emirates continues to have only one leader for Tour de France

UAE Team Emirates are aiming towards the Tour de France with four cards up their sleeve. Adam Yates will be one of them, but following his triumph at the Tour of Oman, he says that the plan will be having Tadej Pogacar as the priority.

However Yates does believes he has a Grand Tour win in his legs. “Of course, why not? I still feel good and feel that I ride at a super high level. Later in the year I will normally get my chance in the Vuelta," the Briton shared with Wielerflits. "It will all depend on how fresh I am after a tough Tour. You never know. If you tell yourself that you can never win, then you should not start. If you believe, a lot can be done."

Yates used Oman as preparation for the UAE Tour - which is a big team goal, and will then race Tirreno-Adriatico. Several leadership opportunities, but he is aware that by the time the Tour de France comes, he will still be at best a second card for the team. “No, the Tour is all about Tadej," he states. 

"My goal does not change there compared to this year: I will try to be the last man in the mountains for him. But we will be there with a very good team in general. If there is a possibility to maintain my position in the classification, then why not? You can always put some extra pressure on the other teams with it."

This, despite Pogacar's plans to race the Giro d'Italia. Both last year finished on the podium of the Tour, behind Jonas Vingegaard. Yates talks about his relationship with the popular Slovenian: “We have a good relationship, even though we don't ride together much. But when we are on the road together, we did well every time."

"He is super easy to work with. Everywhere he participates, he goes full gas. If I ride in front of him, you will never hear him say anything like 'slow down' or 'go easy'. It is rather 'more, more, more'. That also motivates me to put even more power on the pedals."