Teams & Riders Brothers in (crank) arms - Yates Discussion Thread

[Kazistuta]

I don't find the timing that strange. Seems like he planned to continue for another year despite some doubts, went to the December team camp and realised that he just couldn't do another year.

You might believe that, but seing as it's unprecedented I get why ppl are suspicious. Seems very unprofessional of him, if it's not a case of Visma desperately trying to convince him to one last year, and they knew it was a risk. If that's the case, then VLAB are looking stupid for not keeping Cian, so either way someone is looking unprofessional.

 

[Rockestar_33]

You might believe that, but seing as it's unprecedented I get why ppl are suspicious. Seems very unprofessional of him, if it's not a case of Visma desperately trying to convince him to one last year, and they knew it was a risk. If that's the case, then VLAB are looking stupid for not keeping Cian, so either way someone is looking unprofessional.

Cian is a pretty rubbish domestique so I don't think it's as bad as you think. Probably means Jorgenson gets a chance at GC at Vuelta depending on his Tour recovery

 

[Davesta]

You might believe that, but seing as it's unprecedented I get why ppl are suspicious. Seems very unprofessional of him, if it's not a case of Visma desperately trying to convince him to one last year, and they knew it was a risk. If that's the case, then VLAB are looking stupid for not keeping Cian, so either way someone is looking unprofessional.

Would it not be less professional though to half-ass his way around his final season, being of no use to the team but picking up his €m paycheck, like Sagan & Froome?
Surely better to call it a day, and at least help the team save the money?

 

[SafeBet]

Would it not be less professional though to half-ass his way around his final season, being of no use to the team but picking up his €m paycheck, like Sagan & Froome?
Surely better to call it a day, and at least help the team save the money?

Yup.
Also, there's so much talk about mental health in professional cycling and sports in general, then an athlete calls it quits before burning out and he's deemed unprofessional.

 

[Peter von]

Would it not be less professional though to half-ass his way around his final season, being of no use to the team but picking up his €m paycheck, like Sagan & Froome?
Surely better to call it a day, and at least help the team save the money?

one might even argue that if Yates wanted revenge for the Giro-snub he would simply half ass his season and still collect his paycheck, it is my understanding that it takes a lot for an athlete to be in breach of contract by not training hard enough.

@SafeBet also made a good point while i was typing about mental health.

 

[pastronef]

one might even argue that if Yates wanted revenge for the Giro-snub he would simply half ass his season and still collect his paycheck, it is my understanding that it takes a lot for an athlete to be in breach of contract by not training hard enough.

@SafeBet also made a good point while i was typing about mental health.

the moment I saw the announcement I already knew some twitter lunatics would be right there barking like hound dogs

 

[tobydawq]

Yup.
Also, there's so much talk about mental health in professional cycling and sports in general, then an athlete calls it quits before burning out and he's deemed unprofessional.

I think it might not be the same people who care greatly about mental health of athletes and who accuse him of being unprofessional.

 

[Netserk]

when the team schedule announced a week afterwards is crafted around yates in a leading role, at the very least something went wrong in the relation and communication

and i guess it already went wrong in july

 

[saunaking]

Yup.
Also, there's so much talk about mental health in professional cycling and sports in general, then an athlete calls it quits before burning out and he's deemed unprofessional.

Can you imagine some poor guy retiring from the chair factory at age 59 and catching heat for being 'unprofessional'?

 

[Netserk]

Can you imagine some poor guy retiring from the chair factory at age 59 and catching heat for being 'unprofessional'?

easily

 

[Peter von]

the moment I saw the announcement I already knew some twitter lunatics would be right there barking like hound dogs

oh true. some people will interpret just about anything as a clear cut sign of clinic stuff going on.

But ofc if someting later comes out you predicted correctly, and if not it's a cover up, shady deal or some technicality and you could still be right it' just that it was never confirmed.

 

[topcat]

The timing of Yates' retirement is highly unusual. It is normal to question the reasons why he retired at this time. Having won the giro last year, if he had retired at the end of last season, he could have gone out on a high without questions.
It is quite reasonable to suggest that there may be a clinic reason behind his unusual retirement. The barrage following this suggestion, although amusing, does not seem reasonable.
(See you all on Blockhaus in May.)

 

[Kazistuta]

Can you imagine some poor guy retiring from the chair factory at age 59 and catching heat for being 'unprofessional'?

Not comparable.

But if said worker had an important function at a crucial machine, and the management deliberately didn't hire a new guy for the machine, because they were told he would stay working at it, and all the best replacement workers had gotten employment elsewhere.... then definitely.

And just to clarify: Personally I don't think it's a clinic issue, but there must be more to it than just sheer "mental load".

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

There is a parallel discussion going on in the team's thread in the clinic: some of you would be well advised to continue the theme there rather than here...

 

[Rackham]

The problem with his 'shock retirement' is I've only seen it explained by others under the guise of understanding his decision and finding many reasons why he chose to quit, even at such an inopportune moment for the team. I read many people online suggest it's quite valid because he would have felt in December that he wanted out now since he no longer had motivation to continue because it would never get better than the Giro win (I paraphrase but that's the gist of what I read on reddit and social media).

My problem with all of these explanations (like the one I chose as my example here) is it's literally just people putting imaginary words in his mouth and pretending they know the reasons.

None of us know. Not really. When Grischa Niermann said they'd prepared Simon Yates' race schedule and had it all ready, it's fair to say it really was a shock retirement.

That's the bottom line really. Unusual with strange timing. And there's nothing anyone can say that'll change that.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

The fact that Daniel Friebe says it was rumoured during last summer I think shows visma are being disingenuous to the idea that they had absolutely no idea it was coming.

 

[Netserk]

The fact that Daniel Friebe says it was rumoured during last summer I think shows visma are being disingenuous to the idea that they had absolutely no idea it was coming.

the fact that the rumour has only been reported after his retirement and that there clearly is a yates-shaped hole in the team schedule leans in the other direction

 

[Oldman]

Yup.
Also, there's so much talk about mental health in professional cycling and sports in general, then an athlete calls it quits before burning out and he's deemed unprofessional.

It's also very risky in the peloton these days if you're not 100% confident of fitness. The struggle to hold place in the race pack is real and being strong enough to move when terrain offers openings to advance without physically fighting other riders is a strong advantage.
If he lacked the will to do that early preparation he should've bailed out. Best for all. The head leads the body on this count every time.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

the fact that the rumour has only been reported after his retirement and that there clearly is a yates-shaped hole in the team schedule leans in the other direction

not to go all gregg wallace, but you're telling me they wouldn't have heard it?

 

[Netserk]

not to go all gregg wallace, but you're telling me they wouldn't have heard it?

i think it surprised them that he retired and the schedule is the result of them expecting him to perform at a high level throughout the year

so i dont think yates had been clear during the december camp that he was likely to retire immediately

 

[Netserk]

i imagine that yates was in doubt during december, and wanted as good a non-giro schedule he could get if he decided to continue. and then only made the decision and stuck with it after christmas

 

[Squire]

My problem with all of these explanations (like the one I chose as my example here) is it's literally just people putting imaginary words in his mouth and pretending they know the reasons.

That's just what people do nowadays. Uijtdebroeks, Roglic, Vingegaard. Same thing.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Out of the two brothers, both being fine cyclists, i always felt Simon is more of a clutch. Simon likely could have won more if riding for better teams, like seen at Visma, but in the end one has to respect his decision not to do so.

As for speculations on why retired in such way. My take is he didn't fell respected enough and likely felt he should be a sole leader at Giro 2026. Being a super dom for Jonas at Giro/Tour, that lacks in motivation for a rider of such calibre.

 

[hayneplane]

You can clearly see that the team management are furious about the late decision and have made no attempt to sugarcoat it.

I can see why he may have felt he has no more to give once the chance to pin on the number 1 bib at the giro and be a genuine leader at the race had been taken away by the understandable team decision to go for the career slam for Jonas.

Cycling is a tough endurance sport and not something that you can do without total commitment so, if he didn’t feel the fires were still burning, he made the only sensible decision by exiting stage left.

 

[Kazistuta]

Richard Plugge said he was told about the decision during the Christmas period and decided he wouldn't try and persuade him. " It is what it is"

Plugge resignerede: - Hvad siger du så?

Simon Yates sagde stop, og så var det slut. Det erkendte Richard Plugge med det samme

www.feltet.dk