Simon and Adam Yates to lead Great Britain U23 team at European Championships

Simon Yates in second group, British road race national championships 2013

Great Britain's U23 riders will be targeting the medals when they line up the European Road Championships in the Czech Republic, starting today.

U23 national time trial champion Sam Harrison and national 25-mile time trial champion Joe Perrett will both be tackling the 34km, lumpy time trial this Friday before brothers Simon and Adam Yates lead the team of seven at the 165km road race on Sunday.

"It is quite a lumpy course and it's by no means a pure tester's course," explained British Cycling Academy manager Keith Lambert of the time trial course. "They've [Harrison and Perrett] both produced good times in recent races and they've obviously got some form. I'm really expecting them to be challenging."

The European road championships are only open to riders in the U23 and junior categories, with GB sending just one squad of seven men's U23 riders.

The Yates twins recently led the GB team at the Czech Cycling Tour between July 11-14, with world points champion Simon finishing tenth overall and Adam in 32nd. Lambert is optimistic that the pair can improve on those results in Sunday's road race.

"The course suits both of them hands down, it's bang on for them," he said. "Simon didn't feel good at the start of the Czech Tour but by the end he felt like he was getting back to where he wanted to be. That's probably done him good, and his brother [Adam] is going very well as well."

Great Britain squad for European Road Championships

Sam Harrison

Sam Lowe

Tom Moses

Joe Perrett

Ali Slater

Adam Yates

Simon Yates

Related links

Adam Yates third overall in Tour du Franche-Comte

Simon Yates continues impressive season at Fleche du Sud

Third for Simon Yates in Cote Picarde Nations Cup

Thank you for reading 10 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

Richard Abraham is an award-winning writer, based in New Zealand. He has reported from major sporting events including the Tour de France and Olympic Games, and is also a part-time travel guide who has delivered luxury cycle tours and events across Europe. In 2019 he was awarded Writer of the Year at the PPA Awards.