Today Simon Yates got his first chance by his Orica-GreenEDGE team to join a breakaway in the Tour de France and he grabbed it with both hands. Despite not being able to finish it off, the Brit earned lots of praise by his sports director.

 

British neo-pro Simon Yates has put in an exceptional ride on stage eight of the Tour de France, featuring in the main break and surviving until the final kilometers of the day.

 

Yates, who started the day as the youngest rider in the peloton after the withdrawal of Danny Van Poppel (TFR), made the most of the opportunity granted by the team.

 

“It was a hard day out but it is a good experience,” Yates said.

 

“I kept going on with it early, it was tough even to get in (the break).  I ended up going flat stick just to get in.”

 

As his breakaway counterparts Blel Kadri (ALM) and Sylvain Chavanel (IAM) attacked on the penultimate climb, Yates was unable to respond, and Kadri went on to solo for victory.

 

“It kicked up straight away,” Yates explained.

 

“The legs were a little cold in the rain and they got the gap straight away and I just couldn’t get back to them.

 

“It’s ok, I rode as hard as I could.

 

“I think you have to (learn from the experience) don’t you.  How could you not learn from these experiences? It’s the biggest bike race we do all year.”

 

Straight from the flag, Niki Terpstra (OPQ) and Chavanel took off shaping the day’s breakaway.

 

Yates, Kadri and Adrein Petit (COF) set off in pursuit, bridging the gap to form the strong escape group that at its best gained a lead of 11minutes.

 

With the peloton reasonably uninterested in the chase early on, the five-man remained until the final 25km, when Kadri and Chavanel attacked on the climb.

 

The main general classification players then came to the front, chasing down Yates and Chavanel for the minor placings. Yates eventually finished in 43rd position.

 

Sport director Matt White said he wasn’t surprised that 21-year-old Yates was able to grasp such an opportunity.

 

“He is class. The kid is class,” White said.

 

“We wouldn’t have taken him to the Tour de France if he couldn’t be in moves like that today.

 

“It was the first opportunity we gave to Simon Yates in the Tour de France and he took it with two hands.

 

“Blel Kadri was definitely the strongest on the day and he was able to hold on but it was a great experience for Yatesy in his first Tour de France, you can’t ask much more.”