Adam Yates still enjoys cycling but supports brother Simon: "Better not to prolong suffering"
A few weeks after Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike) surprisingly and abruptly announced the end of his cycling career, his twin brother Adam Yates is bursting with motivation for a new year supporting world champion Tadej Pogacar at UAE Emirates XRG, along with some opportunities for himself. In the Tour of Oman, Adam is going for his third consecutive win, but first he takes the time to chat with WielerFlits about an already turbulent 2026.
Will it take some getting used to, that first year without your brother in the peloton, Adam?
"Not really. We’ve already been riding for different teams for quite a while now. It’s mostly great to see that he’s enjoying life. Simon spends a lot of time in the gym to build a stronger body. I haven’t seen him for a while, but I’m curious to see how strong he has become (laughs)."
Do you recognize that feeling that it’s almost time to be done?
"I really still enjoy cycling and I have a contract until the end of 2028. At least until then, I want to keep racing. If you enjoy it, you should continue as long as you can. It’s just that Simon didn’t enjoy it anymore, and then that’s that. If you’re happy with what you’ve achieved and can make peace with your career, then you can stop and enjoy the rest of your ‘normal’ life."
Did he discuss that with you?
"A few times, yes. But I was in Australia and due to the different time zones it wasn’t always easy to talk a lot. He said he didn’t feel it anymore and wasn’t very motivated. That was it. It’s better to stop than to prolong the suffering. We have been doing this for a long time, we’ve been pros since 2014 and have been riding bikes since we were 8 or 9. Sometimes you get tired of something, then you have to change and enjoy."
You found that change in a different season start in Australia.
"It indeed gave me something new, something fresh. I actually went to Australia for the off-season, first for a holiday with my wife and kids. Because it went so well there, I asked the team if I could stay a bit longer in Australia and join the Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. That turned out very well. Although Willunga Hill was canceled, I was able to put in a good performance for Jay Vine."
He won immediately as well. Every year we wonder if UAE Emirates XRG can get even better. Every year it does. Should we be worried about the coming year?
"(laughs) As a team, we work very hard in training, and that pays off in races. We win a lot, but we realize it will be very difficult to match last year’s record (97 wins). That was exceptional. We have to wait and see how the season progresses, if we all regain that high level. But I think we started very well again, and we’ve already won in Down Under and the AlUla Tour. We want to continue that."
What is the secret of the team?
"The team has a lot of good riders. When you join the team, you know what to expect. Tadej Pogacar is the leader everywhere he starts. But when he’s not there, we still have two or three riders who can win. That’s how this team has been operating for years, and it’s also why we win so many races. We have many options and everyone always seems motivated to win. We manage to do that again and again."
Is there a certain evolution in that?
"The team keeps getting better. But you see that in sport in general. Every team wants to get better and better. You see teams doing everything to be better prepared to race, by organizing training camps, specializing in nutrition, and so on. Everyone is doing a bit like us. Moreover, Tadej always works incredibly hard. It looks easy, but there’s a lot of work behind it."
How does it help you personally to ride for such a strong team?
"It often takes the pressure off. If you go to a small race and there are three leaders, the pressure is spread over multiple players. That helps me personally. With Tadej, it’s different, he’s number one and he shows it time and again. But he also takes a lot of pressure off. Almost every time you work for him, he finishes it off. That’s a nice working environment."
Is that why you specifically chose a domestique role?
"I like doing my job. When I joined the team, I was asked if I was interested in being the last man for Tadej in the mountains. I confirmed that immediately. He has shown over the past years that he’s the best in the world, maybe the best ever. Then it’s only an honor to work for someone like that, and to win together. But also with others. In the UAE Tour I will help Isaac Del Toro."
The focus of your season is again on the combination of the Giro and the Tour. Not at all easy, as you had to experience last year.
"Then I indeed made a few mistakes. I did a bit too much, I trained too much and worked too hard. I was very motivated, but that’s not always how it works. You feel good, you get up and want to train. But sometimes resting is good too. This year I have to learn from that and perform better."
Starting in Oman, where you can win for the third time in a row.
"It’s always a bit of a waiting race for me, because only the fifth stage to Green Mountain really suits me. It’s a very nice race, but I was lucky that it never blew hard in the past two years. Besides, you find steep and wide climbs here that you don’t find in Europe. After the long trip to Australia, it’s a bit of waiting to see how I’ll perform, but so far I feel good. There’s a jet lag, but the upside is that I’m already adapted to the heat."
