Simon Yates in the pack at the Critérium du Dauphiné(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Simon Yates (Orica-Scott)(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Simon Yates puts on his yellow jersey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Simon Yates steps into the podium(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Simon Yates (Orica-Scott).(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Simon Yates and Esteban Chaves spearhead Orica Scott's Tour de France bid, with the dynamic duo promising to leave no stone unturned as they look to make the race as aggressive as possible.
The pair rode together at the Vuelta a España in 2016, with both climbers making the top 10 and Chaves finishing on the podium. Although neither rider has enjoyed a perfect build-up to the Tour, they will look to leave their mark on a parcours that suits their characteristics.
Yates is looking to break into the top 10 and challenge for the white jersey, while Chaves arrives in Dusseldorf as something of a wildcard given his lengthy lay-off earlier in the season due to injury.
"I think that the course could play into my hands. It depends on how the other teams treat it because it's a different Tour to normal and a few surprises might happen, but we have to see. I'm ready for it."
Yates' participation in the Tour only came after Chaves missed most of the spring due to injury. Originally, Yates and his brother Adam were slated for the Giro d'Italia with Chaves the sole leader for the Tour. However, in April, Matt White, conscious that Chaves was running out of time to prove his fitness, approached the Yates brothers and offered one of them the chance to ride the Tour. White left the invitation open but hoped that Simon would be the one to take up the challenge after he had missed the 2016 race due to a doping violation.
Adam Yates picked up the white jersey and fourth overall in the Tour last year but Simon has set the bar at finishing in the top 10, for now, but the white jersey remains a genuine goal.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
