Adam Yates has ridden many thousands of kilometres with his identical twin Simon, as boys growing up in Bury, on the boards of the Manchester Velodrome and together for six years at Australian team Orica-GreenEdge. But none had ever been so consequential as the final eight kilometres here in Bilbao, with a Tour de France stage win on the line as well as the prestige of the yellow jersey.
Adam led the peloton up a gruelling final climb to set up an attack by his UAE Emirates teammate Tadej Pogacar, one which the reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard repelled. But when Yates flew past them going down the other side and looked around, he found himself out at the front with only his brother Simon for company.
