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Abu Dhabi (VN) – adam yates There are some big boots to fill and some big expectations trip to the uae next week.
Yates made his debut for the Emirates in their home game on Monday and led the powerful seven-man squad on his own in the absence of double defending champion Taddj Pogachar.
“There’s pressure, but it’s not from the team. It’s more internal,” Yates said in Sunday’s pregame meeting.
“When I first started talking to the team, the plan was always to go on the UAE tour because I’ve done well in the past. They trust me, they believe in me. And for me, the pressure is from the inside because I’m paying back .”
Yates has a long history with trips to the UAE. He won the abridged 2020 race with Mitchelton Scott and finished second for the Ineos Grenadiers the next two years.
The Englishman roared into the Emirates in his first game since leaving Ineos and he was encouraged by his return to the game he loves.
“The last few years here have been really good. The first year I came, I won. Then the last two years, I was second to arguably the best cyclist in the world [i.e., Pogačar – ed],” He said.
“So, for me, it gives me a lot of confidence that this year is going to be my year.”
No Pogačar, no problem
Yates took sole leadership of the team at the UAE, which also includes tour winner Jay Wien and American phenom Brendan McNulty.
Marc Soler and Mikkel Bjerg bring more power to the race’s crucial TTT and summit finish.
It’s an option that could kill the Tour, which is being touted as a matchup with world champion Remko Evenpool.
Why is so much power concentrated in one place in a crowded winter calendar?
Because for the team, the UAE Tour is second only to Tour de France sponsor Stoke and its mission to spread cycling to the Middle East.
Sunday’s press conference was held at Colnago’s flagship bicycle store on Hudayriyat Island and was attended by a large number of local dignitaries.
“We are a team with aspirations. At the same time, I think Adam and all the other drivers are champions,” said team owner Mauro Gianetti when he was not busy with the Abu Dhabi city leaders’ tour.
“They like to be under pressure, they like to be ambitious. So they say it’s their ambition to be on the front line.”
Expectations are high for the team’s performance following the decision to allow peloton ruler Pogačar to bypass the home race in favor of his landslide victory at Ruta del Sol last week.
“We have a strong team and a driver who can take on the responsibility of winning races,” Gianetti said. “It was important for us to give Tad the opportunity to change his plans and not always play the same game.”
Yates is hoping to cash in on his new manager’s decision this week.