A Yates With Destiny

After a year that saw him take home the Tour's white jersey and complete the Vuelta a España, Simon Yates reflects on racing, family and ambition

- Vern Pitt

Following in the wheeltracks of Francesco Moser, Greg LeMond, Marco Pantani and Alberto Contador would be a good enough excuse for a major blow-out party for most 24-year-olds. Not so for Simon Yates, the latest pro to win the Tour de France’s white jersey, awarded to the race’s best young rider.

“We just had a nice little get-together with the team and enjoyed the moment. My family were proud and my mum, typically, made a bit of a scene, but I expect that from my mum. It was a good night,” says Yates, which makes us think that “a nice little get-together” may be closer to the raucous all-nighter we were imagining.

“She’s obviously very proud of us both winning the white jersey and I think it’s quite special for both of us to have won it, the first two brothers to do so,” he adds, keen to credit his brother's own white jersey-winning ride in 2016.

Susan Yates’s level of pride is unsurprising. There aren’t many firsts left to claim in the sport and the Yates twins, both of whom ride for Orica-Scott, have hoovered up a significant one.

What is striking as Yates talks during the final week of the Vuelta a España — his second Grand Tour of the year, the first time he’s doubled up in one season — is that he has a keen understanding that the white jersey is merely a stepping stone to bigger goals.