Tudor talent impresses in Italy but has to settle for second behind Yates on Oropa: "It’s been a tough season for me"

“Yesterday was a tough race in Lombardy,” Yates began his analysis after the race in the flash interview. “My legs were sore this morning, but once we started racing, we knew we had a good chance and a good team. Even at the end of this season, we're giving it our all,” he said, praising his team's mentality.

The UAE team, which started with Pavel Sivakov and Jay Vine, among others, was set to make the race. “Today, we knew we had three solid cards in our hands. Vine started early from the bottom of the climb; he felt good, as he showed yesterday, and then Pavel tried.” Both attempts were unsuccessful, as it turned out.

“We played our cards a bit,” Yates noted. What do you do then? Go for it yourself, of course. “Then I thought I could try it too. I fought until the end because everyone was exhausted, and it worked out well,” concluded the eventual winner.

This concludes Yates’ year, in which he recorded three victories in total. “For me personally, it was a difficult season, but it's great to end it with a victory. It won't be easy to repeat the same thing next year. To do better, we have to be even stronger; maybe we'll win even more,” he said combatively.

Rondel finished second behind Yates at the top of the climb to Oropa. The 22-year-old Frenchman made a big impression, and so he speaks of “a good day.” “We were in a good position all day; the course was quite technical, but the guys did a great job to keep us at the front and position me well on the final climb.”

When UAE turned up the heat, Rondel seized his chance. ‘That was when Sivakov and Vine attacked. I managed to stay at the front. I finished second, not first, but I don't think it's so bad to finish between Yates and Vine. Of course, I would have liked to win, but maybe I'll do that next year.’

“The season is almost over, I'm improving, and I can't complain about second place,” continued the rider from Le Mans. “I knew that to win, I had to break away from everyone, which is very difficult with Yates, who is very strong. He finished on the podium in the Tour de France and has won important races,” he said admiringly of the winner.

“Ultimately, we're talking about second place, and I would prefer to win, but I definitely enjoy racing here,” he said, also praising the race, which ends on the magnificent climb to Oropa. “Next year I'll compete in the Trofeo Tessile & Moda again; it's a tough climb that suits me well.”