Before August, if you had asked me which British rider would wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France (open in new tab), I would have said Geraint Thomas. If pressed, I might have expected Chris Froome to return well from injury, or Simon Yates to change his program due to the pandemic.

Even in the absence of Thomas, Froome, and Simon Yates, few would have expected Simon's brother Adam Yates (open in new tab) to spend four days in yellow in an incredibly tough Tour and finish in the top 10 at the end of week one.

Adam finally lost the yellow jersey on Sunday when the leading riders attacked on the Marie-Blanc pass. The quartet of Pogachar, Roglic, Bernal, and Landa pulled away from the group of six behind them, and Yates was in the next group with Miguel Angel Lopez and Enric Mas. since finishing fourth in the 2015 Tour de France and taking the white jersey, Adam has been a Grand Tour in the Tour de France, he has not been able to match Simon in the Tour de France.

While Simon won the 2018 Vuelta a España and won seven stages in the three-week race, Adam has just two top-10 finishes and no stage wins.

Nevertheless, his success at the UAE Tour earlier this year was a sign of things to come. Last year they finished second in Tirreno Adriatico and Volta a Catalunya; in 2015 they won the Clasica San Sebastián, and in the 2014 Tour of Turkey they became the first brothers to win a stage race together.

Mitchelton-Scott claimed a stage win in this year's Tour de France and has been the overall leader since stage 2.

Despite taking the yellow jersey under unusual circumstances with Julien Alaphilippe's time penalty, few would argue that Yates did not deserve to wear the yellow jersey, especially after holding off all the favorites except Taddei Pogacharde on the Peyresourde pass on stage 8. Few would argue that Yates did not deserve to wear the yellow jersey.

There are many reasons to like the 28-year-old from Berry. His unassuming presence may not attract much media attention. His habit of hanging around the tail end of the peloton, even when wearing the leader's jersey, shows a kind of maverickishness that goes his own way. Also known as "The Shadow" for his habit of slinking around the pack without showing himself, he has proven to be somewhat of a nuisance when wearing the yellow jersey.

Yates has punch and is better suited to attack than to defend. This is why many critics have considered him more suited to the Ardennes Classics than to the Grand Tours.

While Simon was given a direct path into cycling with the British U23 team, Adam was forced to follow a more traditional path, riding for a French cycling club. Later, Simon, looking for a professional team, was invited to join what was then Team Sky, but Adam was not taken seriously, and the two signed with Orica GreenEdge.

Again, his nature as an outsider against the establishment makes him an attractive figure. How will this fit in with the Ineos Grenadiers, which Yates will be competing in next season?

The Yates brothers may not be as well known as the Belizean-born soccer-playing Neville brothers, but they have the potential to make a big mark in their sport. Adam and Simon, who wore the leader's jersey at the Tour de France, may well wear the leader's jersey at next month's Giro d'Italia.

Yates may have lost control in the closing stages of stage 9 when he lost more than a minute's lead to Primos Roglic, but his time in yellow was a reminder to all that he hopes to be more than just a liability in his impending move to the Ineos Grenadiers. The proof is in the pudding. The proof is in his ability to challenge the leaders in the race.

As for the rest of the Tour, it will be interesting to see if he continues to chase top 10 finishes or stage wins. Either way, he joins the elite club as the ninth Briton to wear the maillot jaune.

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