Simon Yates will ride 2019 Giro d`Italia `to try to finish the job off`
(Cyclingnews.com)

Simon Yates has announced that he will return to the Giro d´Italia in 2019, acknowledging that his late collapse in this year´s race had `left a bitter taste`. The Mitchelton-Scott rider won three stages and wore the pink jersey for over two weeks at the 2018 Giro, but he lost the overall lead on stage 19 when he was distanced on the Colle delle Finestre and conceded 38 minutes to eventual winner Chris Froome. Yates reached Rome two days later in 21st place overall, though the 26-year-old digested his disappointment quickly as he returned to win the overall classification at the Vuelta a España in September.ADVERTISEMENT `I`m looking forward to returning to the Giro d´Italia next year. It´s a race I have great memories from but one which also left a bitter taste in my mouth so I want to go back to try to finish the job off,` Yates said in a statement released by his team on Monday morning. `I´m already working hard to arrive in great shape and I can´t wait for the season to begin.` Yates emulated Marco Pantani, Gilberto Simoni and Eddy Merckx by winning three stages in the maglia rosa on the 2018 Giro, claiming the spoils at Gran Sasso d´Italia, Osimo and Sappada. Although he produced strong time trial performances in 2018 - most notably at Rovereto in the third week - Yates acknowledged that the three individual time trials on the 2019 route could complicate his task. You can read more at Cyclingnews.com