Winner Adam Yates once failed: The fairy tale of the twin brothers at the beginning of the tour

class=”sc-29f61514-0 jbwksb”>

It must feel like a dream for the Yates family to see what happens at the finish of the first stage of the Tour de France. Twin brothers Adam and Simon Yates (30) have all left and are racing together through the streets of Bilbao to the finish. Adam is victorious, wins ahead of Simon in second and takes the Maillot Jaune.

“It’s really nice to share this experience with him,” said winner Adam Yates. The wind has turned. In the past, he often had to go down in a duel with his twin brother.

Adam didn’t make it

Like when they were 18 and Adam’s career was at a crossroads. While Simon managed to get into the British “Olympic Academy”, Adam was left empty-handed. “It was tough, we didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about the selection,” mother Susan later told the BBC.

While Simon was able to train with stars like Chris Froome, Adam had to work his way through amateur sport to the pros. “In the end, the setback made Adam even more determined,” says mom Susan. The result can be seen at the finish in Bilbao.

Favorites in action and two bitter failures

Adam Yates, who rides for the UAE-Emirates team, helped top favorite Tadej Pogacar (24) as a precious helper in an attack on the final climb. Together they lured last year’s winner Jonas Vingegaard (26) out of reserve for the ardent Basque fans, leaving most of the co-favorites behind at times.

For two other fellow favorites, the tour dreams end in a ditch. Enric Mas (28), captain of the Movistar squad, was hit so hard by the fall that he had to give up the tour before the first stage arrived.

Olympic champion Richard Carapaz (30) also has to bury his ambitions. He sits on the ground for minutes after the fall. Then he drags himself with bloody knees, a contorted face and 15 minutes behind to the finish. As the team reports, the Spaniard suffered a minor fracture to his kneecap and will have to retire from the tour.

Source : Blick