Adam and Simon Yates extend with Mitchelton-Scott

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Adam and Simon Yates have both extended their contracts at Mitchelton-Scott. The news was announced on Monday during the second rest day of the Tour de France. Both brothers signed two-year contract extensions and were both present at the team announcement.

Both brothers, 25, joined the team in 2014 and have risen up the ranks in the years. Simon recently wore the maglia rosa for most of the Giro d'Italia and came within a few days of winning the race before cracking on the Colle delle Finestre stage 19. He won three stages at the race and has previously won a stage at the Vuelta a España in 2016. He has finished second in both the Tour de Romandie and Paris-Nice. He attracted interest from several rival teams since the start of the year with Trek-Segafredo, EF Education First-Drapac and UAE Team Emirates all showing interest.

Adam, currently competing at the Tour de France, finished fourth in the race two years ago. He has won Clásica de San Sebastián and finished second in this year's Critérium du Dauphiné. Although he has crashed out of GC contention in this year's Tour de France, he remains a hot prospect for the future.

Along with Esteban Chaves, Mitchelton-Scott have one of the strongest young GC squads in the peloton and signing both the Yates brothers for a further two years is evidence of their growing transition into a GC powerhouse.

The decision was made with our owner Gerry Ryan back in 2013 that we wanted to evolve into a team that could ride for general classification," Matt White said. "We then went about identifying young talent we believed in and developed them within our unique culture.

"It's ongoing process, but we have certainly come a long way in a very short amount of time. In just ten Grand Tour attempts, we have already achieved two podiums and seven top-ten results.

"We are proud of what we have achieved so far and we have an unwavering belief in these two young men. With their returned faith, we know even bigger things are on the horizon."

In June, during an interview with Cyclingnews, Simon Yates suggested that he would not sign for a rival team just for the money and that he was more interested in ensuring that he rode for a team with the right sporting environment.

"I'm really pleased to stay with Mitchelton-Scott for other two seasons," Simon Yates said. "As I have said all along, this was never a decision about money, this is about winning bike races.

"This team has believed in us from the beginning and given us opportunities to ride as leaders in key races from a young age. We've had clear ambitions together from the beginning and we have achieved a lot, but we are all hungry for more. I believe more than ever we can podium or win a Grand Tour."

Adam Yates may have come up short in the GC battle at the Tour but he remains a threat for a stage win as the race enters the final week. Simon will target the GC at the Vuelta later in the year, but like Adam, he remains focussed on GC success in the future.

"It's the best option, not just for me but for Simon," Adam said. "We've been with the team from the beginning, we've had great success and the team has supported us every step of the way so there's no reason to change and we are both really happy to stay.

"We've already achieved some great results, we've both won the white jersey at the Tour and won a lot of races along the way. The team is still focussed on riding for the GC and we will continue to do that.

"Hopefully we can take the Grand Tour victory that the team want, and that we want. We just have to keep working and it's going to happen."

Cyclingnews Analysis: A show of faith and youth development

The news of the Yates brothers re-signing at Mitchelton-Scott comes as no surprise but it marks a significant step for both the riders and their team. The brothers, who turn 26 in August, are entering their peak years as athletes and had a major decision to make over their respective futures. The fact that they chose Mitchelton, over reported larger offers - is testament to the fact that these two riders and the Australian team are a good fit.

Not all WorldTour teams have an identity but Mitchelton certainly do. They are Australian-registered but their ethos is about more than just a stamp on someone's passport. The environment that they have created and which has helped the Yates brothers to nurture and grow has led to significant success.

"This is a really exciting period. We've had these kids and now they're not kids," Matt White said. "To see the development they've made over the last few years… it's not average because the level they showed straight away. We and they put in a lot of time into their development. We wanted to keep them, and we didn't want them to go anywhere else. We have a lot of faith in them. Now these guys are an integral part of our culture. We know what they have achieved so far. We want to keep winning in the WorldTour and aim for podiums in the Grand Tours."

Simon Yates, who sat next to White during the mini-press conference a few miles outside of Carcassone agreed, and pinpointed the strength of the atmosphere as to why he and his brother re-signed. There appears to be a genuine bond and shared faith - and it's worth remembering that part of the reason they chose Mitchelton in 2014 was because Team Sky were only willing to take one of the brothers on board. That loss has become Mitchelton's gain.

The next step now has to be for both brothers to crack the podium at a Grand Tour, and eventually make the top step. Whether the Yates brothers can achieve that feat remains to be seen but what's clear is that they're at the right team.

"We want to win bike races, they want us to win bike races. It's a good environment to perform in," Simon said. "The team really know us as rivals and as people. That's what attracted me to re-sign. This is how we work and we don't need that communication any more. That's developed over the years."