Simon Yates battling to regain top form at Volta a Catalunya after illness setback

"I definitely had my arse kicked this week, but I expected that," was Briton Simon Yates' typically succinct analysis of how his 2024 Volta a Catalunya had been on a personal level. 

But the Jayco-AIUIa pro has also done his utmost to help teammate Chris Harper claim a top-six place overall and is looking forward to a busy April of racing and, in the distant horizon, a return to the Tour de France.

Yates began the year very strongly, with a resounding victory at the AIUIa Tour. But as he told Cyclingnews during the Volta a Catalunya, illness then took its toll.

"I'm OK. Unfortunately, I've been a little bit sick. I came down with some sort of virus and it took a long time to get over it," Yates said at the start of the race.

The subsequent seven days in Catalunya saw him playing a team role throughout supporting Harper, who had already expressed his appreciation for Yates' help and advice all week. And as Yates sees it, races like the Volta offer a great opportunity for him to return the favour of Harper's hard work for him in the rest of the year.

"I definitely had my arse kicked, but I expected that. I didn't come here in good condition," Yates told Cyclingnews before stage 7. "But we knew Chris Harper was doing well, so I came here to support him too."

Now 31, the role of adviser isn't new to Yates at all, but it's definitely one that has been in demand this week.

"I enjoy helping Chris, he helps me out so much during the rest of the year. It's nice to be able to give that back. I'd like to have been able to do more, but that's all that I have in the legs at the minute," he said.

Asked to single out a day where he might have felt he had turned a corner, Yates said it had been more a question of getting through each stage as it came along. Or as he put it himself, "I've just trying to get through the days as good as possible, and do my best."

The next chunk of racing is again very much of the Yates variety – lots of climbing, culminating with a return to the Tour de France.

He'll be doing GP Miguel Indurain – a race he won back in 2017 – before taking on Itzulia Basque Country and the Ardennes Classics. After that, the build-up to July begins in earnest.