Since shocking the cycling world and retiring as the reigning Giro d'Italia champion, Simon Yates is getting to enjoy the things he couldn't amid the pressure of being an elite professional rider, according to his brother and fellow top pro Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
Adam Yates has had to field much of the questioning since his twin brother announced he would be exiting the sport and ending his time with Visma-Lease a Bike on a high note, back in January. More than a month on from that revelation, Simon Yates is still training but with some new goals in mind.
"He's still happy. I mean, he's getting in the gym now, trying to get big in a different way. You know, he's gonna do upper body, and he's gonna work out," laughed Adam, speaking to Cyclingnews ahead of the UAE Tour.
"He's just trying things that he never had a chance to do as a bike rider. We're gonna keep mentioning it, [but] the level of focus is so high, and the rest of your life, you can't really focus on, so he's really enjoying that part of his life now and enjoying the things that he couldn't do as a bike rider."
Simon Yates called time on his career after 13 years in the WorldTour, winning the Giro, Vuelta a España, three stages of the Tour de France – including one in 2025 – and multiple stages in all three Grand Tours.
"You win the Giro and a stage of the Tour, and to finish it on that high, I think that's a nice way to go out," said Adam.
"He's super happy with what he's done, with what he's accomplished in his career. What else can you ask for?
"I think when he looks back, he's had a great career. And it's a thing a lot of people forget, it's not just a professional career that you do for 10 years or so, we've been riding a bike since we were eight or nine. It's a long time to be doing the same thing, and there comes a point when you feel like you're satisfied with what you've done, and now it's time to call it a day."
After a big block of time away and racing in Australia, then heading quickly to the Middle East for his next stints in Oman and the UAE, Adam hasn't actually seen his twin Simon in person since his retirement. Only after seven days of racing in the desert in support of Isaac del Toro will the brothers have that reunion.
"I'm looking forward to seeing him, because I've not seen him for about three or four months now," said Yates. "I want to see if he's actually getting big in the gym or if he's getting like a big belly from eating and drinking too much," he laughed.
'The sky's the limit for Del Toro'
With Del Toro on the start line, UAE will be among the favourites to retain Tadej Pogačar's crown from last season, but Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) will be the big threat after his flying start.
Adam Yates, like Evenepoel a former GC winner himself in the UAE, back in 2020, and four-time podium finisher in five appearances – his only miss coming in 2024 when he crashed out with concussion – didn't mince his words in saying that Del Toro is the outright leader on this occasion.
"No, no, I'm not here for GC. Obviously, it's a race that suits me on paper, but again, there's a TT that's completely flat. Remco is here. He's obviously quite good at them. Isaac's not bad at TTs as well," said Yates. "So obviously, when you have a card like that to play, I think you back him.
"It's not like there are stages with multiple mountains, and you can kind of use numbers to your advantage, where we would do in Europe. Here is more completely flat and a climb at the end. So it's a different kind of dynamic, and here you should back the best horse, and our horse is Isaac."
Yates made up part of Del Toro's support at the Giro last season, where the Mexian burst onto the scene and almost won the maglia rosa, finally falling short and finishing second to Simon Yates after the final mountain stage. But still, as Del Toro's teamame Adam Yates noted the bags of talent the Mexican possesses, but also his maturity at still only 22.
"I think he surprised himself [last year], to be honest. Even at the start of the year, he wasn't at a super high level, but even now, you speak to him, he's said he made some mistakes, and he changed some things with the training, and he took a big step," said Yates.
"He's super smart, Isaac; he knows what he's doing. And when you listen to the body, listen to yourself, and you take advice from other people – you put it all together, and you get the results as he does.
"He's still young, he's got the room to improve, and as long as he keeps his feet on the ground and keeps working hard, then the sky's the limit."
