"The Tour is all about Tadej" - Adam Yates believes UAE Team Emirates continues to have only one leader for Tour de France
Cycling
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."
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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