The winner of Mitchelton-Scott maiden grand tour has announced that he will stay with the Australian WorldTour squad until the conclusion of the 2022 season.
The news comes after team owner Gerry Ryan, who has supported the organisation since its inception in 2012, confirmed his commitment to the team for another two years after the failed sponsorship/takeover deal with Manuela Fundacion.
Yates joined Mitchelton-SCOTT as a neo-pro in 2014. Since then, the Briton has taken 17 professional victories, including stages at all three Grand Tours, and has developed into one of the world’s top climbers, winning the 2018 Vuelta a España and finishing in the top-10 at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
As the team’s most successful general classification rider, he was a high-priority re-signing. The new agreement will take the 28-year-old’s tenure with the Australian outfit to nine years.
What is less clear is the future of twin brother Adam Yates, fourth-place finisher at the Tour de France and white jersey winner. Typically, their contract signing have been announced together, with both the twin's initial signing and the most recent re-signing joint announcements for the brothers. There has been speculation within cycling circles that Adam will be off to Team INEOS next season.
Simon Yates, who began his 2020 campaign in Australia in January, re-started his season at the Vuelta a Burgos and Tour of Poland, where he podiumed overall, and will now build towards a third consecutive attempt at glory at the Giro d’Italia after three stage wins and a long stint in the pink jersey in 2018.
Adam Yates started the season in good form, winning the UAE Tour, but suffered a persistent stomach bug in the lead-up to the Dauphine and could only manage 17th as he prepares for the Tour de France.
