Simon Yates crowned WorldTour champion after successful season
Last Updated: 22/10/18 12:38pm
Britain's Simon Yates was crowned WorldTour champion at the conclusion of the 2018 season in China on Sunday.
Yates, who rides for Mitchelton-Scott, won his first Grand Tour when victorious at the Vuelta a Espana in September, having led the Giro d'Italia earlier in the season before a late collapse.
The Bury rider also had top five overall finishes at Paris-Nice, the Tour of Catalunya and Tour of Poland and won seven individual stages to accumulate the most points across the season.
"After a week or so off the bike to reflect, it's been an amazing year and one I will always remember," Yates said.
"The results have been special, but also results that I feel I have been working towards and getting closer to every year since becoming a professional, and to finish at the top of the WorldTour rankings just tops it off."
"Of course, the Vuelta is the highlight as my first Grand Tour victory, and how we pulled together as a team to get everything right for that month of racing was incredible.
"But, despite the disappointment in the final days, I also look back at the Giro with a lot of pride at how we raced and what we achieved there.
"I like to race on instinct. I think that's what works best for me and what fans want to see, and I hope that I continue to do so and achieve more big results in the coming years."
Quick-Step Floors won the men's team prize after an incredible 73 victories this season, with Team Sky finishing second.
Annemiek Van Vleuten, who rides for Mitchelton-Scott's women's team, secured a total of 13 victories in 2018 to land the women's prize ahead of former team-mate Marianne Vos.
