Adam Yates leaves Mitchelton-Scott for Team Ineos
The rumours have officially been confirmed by the British WorldTour team
Adam Yates will be leaving Mitchelton-Scott after seven years at the Australian squad to join Team Ineos.
The Brit was rumoured to be in talks with the British WorldTour team, with Ineos officially announcing the news on Friday afternoon (August 21).
In a team press release, Sir Dave Brailsford said: “I’m really delighted that Adam is finally joining the team. It feels like the timing is just right as he enters the prime of his career and we embark on a new era as the Ineos Grenadiers.
“As a global team with a British heart, Adam’s no-nonsense British character is a perfect fit. He knows how to win and his gritty, determined and resilient approach are exactly the attributes we are looking to foster as we assemble the new Ineos Grenadiers to be built on purpose.”
Yates’s move will mean a departure from his twin brother Simon, who this week extended his contract with Mitchelton for another two years.
Adam said: “The prospect of riding for a British team is one that I am extremely excited about.
>>> Mark Cavendish won’t ride the Tour de France 2020
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I’ve witnessed the rise of cycling in the UK during my career and I think this has been spurred on by success of British riders and this team. It is an exciting opportunity and one that I feel has come at the right time.
Despite following different paths to becoming professionals, the brothers have ridden in the same team at WorldTour level since 2014 when they both stepped up to join Orica Greenedge.
Yates started the year in tremendous form, taking the overall of the UAE Tour, before it was cancelled due to the global pandemic.
The move sees Ineos bring in some fresh British climbing talent to go alongside the likes of Geraint Thomas, with Chris Froome leaving to join Israel Start-Up Nation.
Yates will be joining the team as another general classification leader at the Grand Tours.
While he has no overall wins in the three-week races like his brother Simon, he has won the white jersey for best young rider at the Tour de France along with an assortment of week-long stage races.
The climber continued: “My results in week-long races and one day races have been really solid but I would like to take that consistency to Grand Tour racing with the Ineos Grenadiers and see where it takes me.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.