Yates one year ago was 3rd, but most important he had a strong third week, also winning one of the most difficult stages.
He's 30 so still perfect for a GT. I really think he will battle for the victory.
That's true. But even his strong third week was inconsistent. He lost 2 and a half minutes on Bernal, 2 minutes on Caruso and more than a minute to Almeida or Carthy on the Giau stage. He has to get rid of these off-days if he wants to win the race.