Sean Yates has joined Nippo Delcoin Provence as a coach. He worked with the French professional team for the first time last week at a training camp in Mustier Sainte Marie in the south of France.

Yates last worked with the pro peloton in 2016, when he was a directeur sportif with Tinkoff Saxo. The 60-year-old then turned his attention to the coaching business.

"This is my first time training professional athletes for a French team, and I am very pleased with this new chapter for me," Yates said in a statement released by the team.

"I was contacted by team owner Philippe Lanne and immediately agreed to join the team project. We have a great team of motivated people working hand in hand in the right direction. With this mindset we can improve and go far."

Yates spent the early part of his racing career in France, working with the ACBB amateur team in Paris before turning pro with Peugeot in 1982. after a 14-year professional career, starting with Linda McCartney, iTeamNova, CSC and Discovery Channel, Astana, where he worked as a director.

In 2010, Yates joined Team Sky for its inaugural season and was part of the management team that led Bradley Wiggins to overall victory at the 2012 Tour de France. 2012 Tour de France He was part of the management team that led Bradley Wiggins to overall victory at the 2012 Tour de France. Yates left the Dave Brailsford-led team at the end of that season, but both he and the team have denied reports that he left because of Sky's stated "zero tolerance" policy against doping

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Yates returned to the pro cycling team in 2014 with the British NFTO before returning to the WorldTour in 2015 to work with former CSC director Bjarne Riis at Tinkoff Saxo, but the Dane left the team in March of that year.

In a statement on Thursday, Nippo Delcoyne Provence welcomed Yates' addition to the performance department, adding: "He will be responsible for guiding the six team riders and helping them to do their best."

Yates will also be responsible for the team's performance and training.

The team, which grew out of VC La Pomme's amateur team, underwent a reorganization during a recent hiatus from racing activities. Delco owner Philippe Lanne took over as managing owner of the team following the retirement of director Frédéric Rosteing. Last month, José Azevedo, who rode for Yates on the Discovery Channel, was named the team's director sportif.