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Yates to spearhead BikeExchange Giro bid

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Britain's Simon Yates will spearhead Team BikeExchange's bid to win the Giro d'Italia.
Camera IconBritain's Simon Yates will spearhead Team BikeExchange's bid to win the Giro d'Italia.

Australian cycling's Team BikeExchange has confirmed that its spearhead rider Simon Yates will return to the Giro d'Italia for a fourth successive year in a bid to finally win the elusive grand tour.

Following the unveiling of what looks an ideal route for the Briton in the great Italian challenge, with its six mountain-top finishes and only 38.4 kilometres of time trials, Yates was left encouraged by his chances in a race which has not always been kind to him.

"The last two or three years haven't gone as I would have hoped with a combination of bad luck and some mistakes along the way," said Yates, who'll be seeking to add another grand tour title to his 2018 Vuelta a Espana win.

"All I hope for is to have a clean run in 2021 without these things and that I can show myself in the best way possible," added the top rider in the Australian road race outfit which was previously known as Mitchelton Scott but has been rebranded this year.

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Yates has a love-hate relationship with the Giro after numerous triumphs and tribulations in his quest for the pink jersey over the years.

The 28-year-old, who finished eighth overall in 2019, had previously worn the Maglia Rosa for thirteen stages in 2018, claiming three stage wins along the way, before Chris Froome stormed to a remarkable victory.

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"The 2021 Giro route looks really nice, there's a good mix of stages and there's even some gravel roads thrown in for good measure," Yates said.

"As always with the Giro, the final week looks hard and with only a small amount of time trial kilometres, I think that is where the race will be decided."

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