16 Mar 2022
Yates seals second at UAE Tour
Related riders
Adam Yates
UAE Tour - Stage 7 » Al Ain › Jebel Hafeet, 148km
Adam Yates secured second place overall at the UAE Tour after a climbing showdown on the final day.
The traditional Jebel Hafeet summit finish posed a final test to the riders, with Yates launching a hard attack with 3.2 kilometres to go. The Grenadier did what he could to distance leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) but was unable to shake the defending champion on the run-in.
In a mirror of the 2021 race, Yates crossed the line just short of the Slovenian, but elevated himself on to the overall podium. Also present in the lead group was Luke Plapp. The young Australian has impressed during his WorldTour debut this week, and finished a superb fifth on the queen stage.
The traditional Jebel Hafeet summit finish posed a final test to the riders, with Yates launching a hard attack with 3.2 kilometres to go. The Grenadier did what he could to distance leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) but was unable to shake the defending champion on the run-in.
In a mirror of the 2021 race, Yates crossed the line just short of the Slovenian, but elevated himself on to the overall podium. Also present in the lead group was Luke Plapp. The young Australian has impressed during his WorldTour debut this week, and finished a superb fifth on the queen stage.
Reaction
- Adam Yates
“Big thanks to all the guys. Today was the last mountain stage and we put a lot of effort into it. We’ve been working hard and well as a team all week, not just for GC but for the sprints too. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of it.
“Today we came up short but not through any lack of effort. The first attack I went full gas until I couldn’t go any more. I had a look behind and was hoping [Pogacar] wasn’t there – but it’s pretty hard to drop a double Tour de France winner. I tried again right at the final and I still couldn’t get rid of him. On a finish like this he’s pretty quick in a sprint. All in all I think we can be happy with how we’ve raced – there’s plenty to build on.
- Adam Yates
“Big thanks to all the guys. Today was the last mountain stage and we put a lot of effort into it. We’ve been working hard and well as a team all week, not just for GC but for the sprints too. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of it.
“Today we came up short but not through any lack of effort. The first attack I went full gas until I couldn’t go any more. I had a look behind and was hoping [Pogacar] wasn’t there – but it’s pretty hard to drop a double Tour de France winner. I tried again right at the final and I still couldn’t get rid of him. On a finish like this he’s pretty quick in a sprint. All in all I think we can be happy with how we’ve raced – there’s plenty to build on.
“Luke (Plapp) is a young guy but you can see how strong he is. He’s got real potential and you can see how motivated he is. I’m sure he’s got a big future ahead of him.”
