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Simon Yates wins in Spain after return from doping banSimon Yates (picture Orica-GreenEdge).PNG

Simon Yates wins in Spain after return from doping ban

Orica-BikeExchange rider follows brother's Tour de France white jersey win with victory in Basque Country...
by Simon_MacMichael
Mon, Jul 25, 2016 17:21
6

Just 24 hours after his twin brother Adam stood on the Champs-Elysees podium after winning the best young rider's white jersey at the Tour de France, Simon Yates has claimed his first victory after his return from a four-month doping ban. It's also his first since joining Australian UCI WorldTour outfit Orica-BikeExchange with his brother in 2014.

The suspension was imposed by the UCI after the 23-year-old tested positive for an asthma drug at Paris-Nice in March, with his team doctor having failed to secure the necessary therapeutic use exemption due to an administrative error.

> Simon Yates "ashamed and embarrassed" at doping ban

The timing of the ban meant the rider from Bury could not line up alongside his brother at the start of the Tour de France in Normandy three weeks ago, and he returned to racing a week later at the Tour of Poland where he finished 20th overall.

Eurosport reports that after winning the Basque race the Prueba Villafranca-Ordiziako Klasika in the Basque Country today, the 23-year-old said: "I am really happy with this win.

"It's actually my first victory as a full professional and of course it is very special, especially in such a tough race.

"I hope that I can carry this form into the upcoming races, but for sure I am going to enjoy this moment," he added.

Before joining his current team, Yates rode for the Great Britain development squad and in 2013 won the Devon stage of the Tour of Britain, where he finished third overall, as well as two stages of that year's Tour de l'Avenir.

Simon Yates
Adam Yates
Orica-BikeExchange
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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1961BikiE | 8 years ago
2 likes

Lets hope some other "UK" business has the balls and cash to start a team that the Yates brothers can ride for. Unless Froome left Sky before 2020 I can't see joining Sky would be anything but a waste of their talents riding in support of CF. Though as said the drug ban should in theory prevent Simon from being eligible anyway inder current team policy.

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Leeroy_Silk | 8 years ago
0 likes

This isn't the right article to raise this question but, could Simon ever ride for Team Sky now?

Avatar
Stumps replied to Leeroy_Silk | 8 years ago
1 like
Leeroy_Silk wrote:

This isn't the right article to raise this question but, could Simon ever ride for Team Sky now?

Not with their current policy unless there's small print somewhere which excludes incidents such as happened here.

Avatar
Leeroy_Silk replied to Stumps | 8 years ago
1 like

AWPeleton wrote:
Leeroy_Silk wrote:

This isn't the right article to raise this question but, could Simon ever ride for Team Sky now?

Not with their current policy unless there's small print somewhere which excludes incidents such as happened here.

That was what I suspected. The failure of Orica's doc to disclose the TUE may have jeopardised Simon's chances of ever riding for Sky. It's certainly premature thinking but that single action could well be the best or worst thing to ever happened to him. Riding for Sky now would make him a handsomely paid super domestique but nothing more whilst Froome is around. Being excluded from Sky means he will get get his chance as GC contender. Just hope he and Adam remain together and push each other. 

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Dr Madvibe replied to Leeroy_Silk | 8 years ago
0 likes

Leeroy_Silk wrote:

AWPeleton wrote:
Leeroy_Silk wrote:

This isn't the right article to raise this question but, could Simon ever ride for Team Sky now?

Not with their current policy unless there's small print somewhere which excludes incidents such as happened here.

That was what I suspected. The failure of Orica's doc to disclose the TUE may have jeopardised Simon's chances of ever riding for Sky. It's certainly premature thinking but that single action could well be the best or worst thing to ever happened to him. Riding for Sky now would make him a handsomely paid super domestique but nothing more whilst Froome is around. Being excluded from Sky means he will get get his chance as GC contender. Just hope he and Adam remain together and push each other. 

Wasn't that part of the reason they chose Oriya?

Avatar
HarrogateSpa | 8 years ago
6 likes

Good for him. Rather than condemning anyone whose name appears in the same sentence as the word 'doping', you have to look at the facts of the specific case. Here, it does appear that he wasn't at fault. He was given a short ban, he's served it, and it should be the end of the matter.

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