Adam Yates
Adam Yates, born 7 August 1992 in Bury, England, is one of Britain's most consistent Grand Tour climbers and a cornerstone rider for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. A pure mountain specialist with a fierce competitive streak, he announced himself by winning the young rider classification at the 2016 Tour de France, then went on to claim a podium finish at the 2023 Tour de France and overall victories at races including the Volta a Catalunya, Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse. Equally capable of leading his own general classification campaign or shepherding teammate Tadej Pogačar through the high mountains, Yates has built a reputation as both a winner and one of the peloton's most valued lieutenants. Find Adam Yates's latest results, stats and race calendar on this page.
Biography of pro cyclist Adam Yates
Adam Yates is a British road racing cyclist whose career has been defined by mountain prowess, durability and an instantly recognisable surname: he is the identical twin of fellow WorldTour rider Simon Yates. Over more than a decade at the top level, he has collected stage-race titles across Europe and ridden in service of the sport's biggest stars.
He matters because few climbers combine his blend of personal ambition and selfless teamwork. Whether chasing his own result or burying himself for a leader, Yates remains one of the most reliable mountain riders in professional cycling.
Early life and rise
Adam and Simon Yates grew up in Bury, Greater Manchester, taking up cycling with Bury Clarion and racing on the track at Eastlands Velo. While Simon entered the British Cycling Olympic Academy, Adam headed to France to chase a road career, supported in part by the Dave Rayner Fund. The investment paid off: in 2013 he finished a close second overall at the Tour de l'Avenir, the leading under-23 stage race, marking him out as a future Grand Tour rider.
In 2014 both brothers turned professional with the Australian WorldTour team Orica–GreenEDGE. Adam's breakthrough came quickly, with a maiden one-day win at the 2015 Clásica de San Sebastián.
Breakthrough at the 2016 Tour de France
Yates's defining early result arrived at the 2016 Tour de France, where he finished fourth overall and won the white jersey as the race's best young rider, the first British rider to do so. At just 23, the performance established him as a genuine Grand Tour contender and the more naturally consistent of the two Yates brothers in three-week racing.
Stage-race titles and the 2023 Tour de France podium
Across the following seasons, Yates assembled an impressive collection of week-long stage-race wins, including the 2021 Volta a Catalunya, the 2023 Tour de Romandie and the 2024 Tour de Suisse, where he won two stages on his way to the overall title. He also took the one-day Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in 2023.
His standout Grand Tour result came at the 2023 Tour de France. Riding his first season with UAE Team Emirates, Yates won the opening stage around Bilbao, beating his twin brother Simon in a memorable one-two, and pulled on the yellow jersey. He went on to finish third overall in Paris, the best Grand Tour result of his career. In 2025 he added another victory to his palmarès by soloing to win the Coppa Agostoni.
Rider profile: strengths and style
Yates is a lightweight pure climber, most dangerous on long, sustained mountain ascents where his steady, high tempo can wear down rivals. He is a strong week-long stage racer and a capable, if not elite, time triallist. In recent seasons he has become one of the most trusted mountain domestiques in the sport, frequently setting the pace for Tadej Pogačar in the highest mountains while retaining the freedom to chase his own results when the situation allows. Tactically astute and unflappable, he is valued as much for his reliability as for his palmarès.
Personal life
Adam Yates is the identical twin of Simon Yates, a Grand Tour winner in his own right, and the two have raced both with and against each other throughout their careers, most famously finishing first and second on stage one of the 2023 Tour de France. He is known within the peloton for a quiet, understated character that contrasts with his fierce racing instincts. He represented Great Britain at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic road races, finishing ninth in Tokyo.
Records and milestones
- 2023 Tour de France: 3rd overall, stage 1 winner and yellow jersey
- 2016 Tour de France: 4th overall and young rider (white jersey) classification winner, first Briton to win it
- 2024 Tour de Suisse: overall winner (two stage wins)
- 2023 Tour de Romandie: overall winner
- 2021 Volta a Catalunya: overall winner
- 2015 Clásica de San Sebastián: winner
- 2023 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal: winner
- 2025 Coppa Agostoni: winner
- Two-time Olympian (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020)
What's next for Adam Yates?
Under contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG through 2028, Yates is expected to continue in his dual role: a key mountain support rider for Tadej Pogačar at the Tour de France and a protected leader at races such as the Vuelta a España and week-long stage races. Now in his thirties, he remains one of the most dependable climbers in the WorldTour, with the experience to chase further stage-race honours of his own.
