Adam Yates will ride on in the Tour de France, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG hoping he can recover from a stomach problem during stage 18 and so help Tadej Pogačar and Isaac del Toro in the final mountain stages.
UAE believe that no other riders have been hit by the stomach problem.
Yates fought to finish inside the time limit on Wednesday, with Pogačar revealing “he suffered like a dog” due to the stomach problem that left him unable to eat and so fuel for stage 17.
Latest Videos From
Yates was at the start of stage 18 in Voirons on Thursday, with UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti hoping he can survive the stage and recover in time for the back-to-back stages to L’Alpe d’Huez.
“His stomach problem is almost sorted out, but the legs may be a bit empty,” Gianetti told Cyclingnews Deputy Editor Patrick Fletcher before the start of the stage.
You may like
“He is going to suffer because it’s still soon. We’re hoping he can get through today and then play a role tomorrow and Saturday. If not tomorrow, then at least Saturday we hope he can be back to his best.”
Yates fell ill on Tuesday, the day of the time trial and suffered through stage 17. He was distanced with around 80km to race, and UAE sent back Tim Wellens to help him finish inside the time limit.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
They finished 26:36 down on stage winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and 18 minutes down on the main part of the peloton but lived to race another day.
Yates was treated by the UAE team doctor, but the team said his illness is “isolated”, with no one else affected.
UAE still have a team of eight riders in the Tour, with Pogačar in the leader’s yellow jersey, with a lead of 4:32 on Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). Del Toro is third overall at 6:51 and leads the best young rider white jersey competition. UAE also hope to win the team competition but lost time to Lidl-Trek on stage 17.
The team prize is decided by the best three riders on each stage, so Yates could play a vital role if he can return to full health.
The world’s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! Find out more.