Adam Yates reacts to Simon Yates’ shock retirement after Giro glory: 'I was not surprised'

For fans, the timing was hard to process. Simon was still “one of the best riders in the peloton”, fresh off a spectacular 2025 that included winning the Giro d’Italia and a Tour de France stage, after signing for Visma | Lease a Bike. 

He bowed out at 33 as a two time Grand Tour winner, completing a full circle moment on the Colle delle Finestre, where he had lost the pink jersey in 2018.

Simon addressed the decision in a message that framed retirement as something he had been carrying for a while. “Dear all, I have made the decision to retire from professional cycling. This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have made lightly. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport,” he wrote.

Adam described it less as a shock and more as something they had already discussed, even if it was not an easy conversation. “I was not surprised, because we had already spoken about it,” he explained to Sporza. “It was a bit tricky, because I was in Australia at the time and Simon was in Europe. With the time difference, it was not easy to talk about it properly.”

The twins will ride separate paths for the first time in over a decade, although Adam pointed out that their careers had already diverged in practical terms. “It does not feel strange, because we have been on different teams for several years already.”

What does change is the rhythm of life around the racing calendar. Adam said Simon is enjoying the freedom that comes with stepping away. “He is enjoying life at home now. He is doing things he could not do when he was still a professional cyclist. I will see him next week, because it has been a while.”

For many fans, the peak of the Yates dynasty came on stage 1 of the 2023 Tour de France, when the brothers went clear in the finale into Bilbao and Adam took the yellow jersey ahead of Simon.

As for whether Adam could follow soon, he laughed off the idea for now. “Not yet,” he says. “I still have at least a contract until the end of 2027 with UAE.” He admits the sport keeps getting tougher, but his motivation remains intact. “The level in the peloton is increasing and it gets harder every year. But I still enjoy the bike, the races and the training.”