Simon Yates (cyclist)
A British climber who conquered Grand Tours, winning the Vuelta and Giro after overcoming a major professional setback.
Born 1992 (age 34)·British road and track racing cyclist·Birthday: August 7·Millennials
Biography
Simon Yates, one half of a formidable twin-brother act in professional cycling, carved his own path with a lean build and a climber's heart. His early prowess was on the track, where he seized a world title in the points race in 2013. Transitioning fully to the road, his career faced a stark interruption with a doping ban in 2016 for a procedural asthma medication error, a moment that forced reflection and recalibration. His comeback was emphatic. In 2018, he mastered the brutal climbs of the Vuelta a España to claim his first Grand Tour victory, a display of tactical patience and attacking flair. Proving it was no fluke, he later secured the maglia rosa at the Giro d'Italia. Yates's story is one of resilience, a rider who used his slight frame to generate immense power on steep gradients, securing his place among Britain's most successful stage racers.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Simon was born in 1992, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Simon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1992
#1 Movie
Aladdin
Best Picture
Unforgiven
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Simon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1992Born
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1997Started school
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2005Became a teenager
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2008Could drive
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2010Could vote
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Turned 21
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2022Turned 30
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 34 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the general classification of the 2018 Vuelta a España.
- Won the general classification of the 2025 Giro d'Italia.
- Became the points race world champion at the 2013 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
- Won the white jersey as best young rider at the 2017 Tour de France.
Did You Know?
He and his twin brother Adam are the only twins to have both won stages in the same Grand Tour (2016 Tour de France).
His 2016 doping ban was for the use of an asthma inhaler containing terbutaline, which he did not have a therapeutic use exemption for.
He is known by the nickname "The Bury Bullet," a reference to his hometown.
“You don't win a Grand Tour by thinking about the last mountain.”
