Yates keeps Giro ambitions close to his chest after O Gran Camiño win - 'We'll see'

On the fifth and final stage of O Gran Camiño, Adam Yates knew that he had a healthy buffer in the GC standings, having made a key difference by winning stage 4 solo.

Yates rode on the front foot of stage 5's final climb, the Alto Monte Santa Trega, pushing the pace and creating a selective group of four that included Alessandro Pinarello (NSN), Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Iván Romeo (Movistar). 

The British rider revealed that his ambition was to try to set a tempo that would deter attacks from others. 

“It was a hard climb. Actually, it is quite short, and yeah, it was not super, super steep, but with the wind coming from the ocean, it made it quite difficult,” said Yates in his post-race interview. 

“I decided to play it a little bit safe, keep the pace quite high at the front, and then I knew it would be quite difficult for the other guys to attack. I’m happy to finish it off.”

Yates’ plan worked, but when the race hit a section of cobbles inside the final half a kilometre, it was Pinarello that hit the front, and the Italian remained there until the finish to take his first professional win.

Yates had to settle for 3rd on the stage, behind Pinarello and Nordhagen, but with the knowledge that the GC was secured. He admitted to not enjoying the stretch of cobbles.

“Not good. I like to climb out of the saddle,” replied Yates when asked how he felt on the cobbles. “There was a perfectly good tarmac road next to the cobbled climb, so maybe next year they could put it in, and it would be much nicer,” Yates joked.

Sealing the overall means that Yates reached a milestone tenth GC success in his professional career. The 33-year-old enjoyed his time in Galicia and will look to make a return to the race in the years to come.

“I think overall, the race in general has been super nice, and hopefully over the next couple of years, I’ll be back again."

The next time that Yates will pin on a number is at the Giro d’Italia, which kicks off on May 8. But first, the British rider will head to altitude with his teammates for the final preparations for the Italian Grand Tour. When asked what his goals for the Giro are, Yates kept his cards close to his chest.

“We’ll see. Firstly, I’ll have to go back to altitude and make some final preparations and then obviously the Giro, we are going to go there with a strong team and some options,” said Yates. 

UAE’s provisional line-up also includes João Almeida, who last raced at the Volta a Catalunya at the end of March, where he finished 38th. Jonas Vingegaard headlines the battle for the pink jersey, with the Dane making his debut and a stern competitor for Yates and UAE to face.

“We know the competition is quite strong. I think it’s better we go with a few options, and then we’ll see. First, you have to have the legs, have the condition and hopefully the result will come," said Yates.