Yates had to wait a long time for his Giro revenge: "This race kept calling my name"

After the finish in Rome, Yates' overall victory was official, although he had already sealed the deal in the stage to Sestrière. We had never seen such emotions from the 32-year-old climber before. "I don't think I've quite realized it yet," he laughed in the flash interview. "It's a big moment in my career, probably the most important. I'm very proud of the whole team over the last three weeks. And then Olav finishes it; it's been three fantastic weeks."

After the ride over the Colle delle Finestre, the British rider would have loved to celebrate his Giro victory, but that was impossible. "We didn't have much time to recover last night. We had to catch a plane to Rome straight away. It was a quick transition, but we had to stay focused. We knew we had a good chance with Olav, and he knows how to get the job done."

Yates calls winning the Giro the most significant moment of his career, even greater than his victory in the Vuelta a España. "Since I turned pro, I've dreamed of winning the biggest races. The Grand Tours are the pinnacle of our sport. I fell in love with this race in 2018, and you know I've had my ups and downs here. But it's a race that kept calling my name, and I can't believe I've won it now. It's a dream come true."

It hasn't been easy for the Visma | Lease a Bike lead rider, who has had many difficult moments in his career. Sometimes, it was difficult to keep the faith. "You always have to believe in yourself, that you can achieve something great. But bit by bit, I was losing time on Richie and Isaac. Winning the race seemed to be slipping further away, and catching them back wouldn't be easy. But the guys kept encouraging me. And I kept believing, too."

Nevertheless, there were moments in the career of Adam's twin brother when he thought his career was coming to an end. "We all have doubts about whether we're on the right path. I've had a lot of setbacks, not just in this Giro, where I thought: it's time to quit; maybe I should do something else. But I kept going, and this year turned out to be my year. I haven't had any bad luck, which I did in the past."

In hindsight, the gravel ride to Siena was a crucial stage for Yates. He finished fifth, and major opponents such as Roglic and Ayuso crashed. He quietly held his position at the top of the rankings. "It wasn't a stage I enjoyed,” he says candidly about that ride. “We riders sacrifice a lot; we're away from home a lot. You can get a flat tire any moment, and then your race is over. I don't like that aspect, but it's entertaining to watch. Fortunately, the team positioned me well in the first sector, and after that, I managed to stay out of trouble."

After 11 years with Jayco-AlUla and its predecessors, Yates moved to Visma | Lease a Bike, a decision he now has more faith in than ever. "I just needed a change. I wanted to join a team that knew how to win grand tours. They have succeeded with several riders, and my choice seems to have paid off. But I don't regret staying with Jayco for so long. I made friends for life there and created wonderful memories. All my successes, except for this Giro, were achieved there."