Yates brothers to lead Giro and Vuelta, Chaves in Tour
Feb 22 2017 08:06 pm CET
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEEDSOrica-Scott has decided that the Yates brothers will lead the team in the Giro d'Italia and Esteban Chaves in the Tour de France. All three are set to ride the Vuelta a España.
After its best season so far, the Australian team is putting its ambitions to work in the 2017 Grand Tours. Orica-Scott thinks this year can be very important in the development of its three climbing stars.
"Despite having three quality young riders to develop programs for, we have come up with a plan that the boys, and the team, are very excited about," said sport director Matt White.
The Grand Tours season will start with the Yates brothers sharing the lead in the Italian race. "The plan for the Giro d'Italia is to go with a two-pronged attack with the Yates brothers riding for the general classification. It's a very special edition of the Giro and maybe the toughest last week of a Grand Tour I have ever seen. The boys are up to the challenge and it looks to be the best field ever assembled," he commented.
Even though the team knows that it is strange not to send send Adam Yates to the Tour, where he finished fourth last year, it comments that this plan will work for a better future for him and his brother. "Their results have been impressive but we aren't going to see the very best of them for a few years yet. Instead, we decided we will do two Grand Tours with them. The physical maturity and Grand Tour experience will be of great benefit for them both in the years to come," White added.
About Chaves' role in the Tour, the sport director believes it will give him more experience for the future and that there's no pressure for him to get results. "I think it's pretty unrealistic to expect anyone to win their first Tour de France but physically, Esteban has shown he can ride general classification at Grand Tours and he can handle the stress involved."
The three riders will get together in the Spanish Grand Tour with the Yates brothers leading the team for the general classification. "We don't know how Esteban will come out of the Tour. He has done two Grand Tours in a year before but not back-to-back so we need to reassess after the Tour. It will be the only Grand Tour this year that we will see them race all together and this is also an exciting prospect for us," he affirmed.
