Adam Yates revealed that COVID-19 has seriously affected his preparations for the 2022 Tour de France, saying that Friday's opening time trial will be the first time he will know if he can make the podium.

The British rider, who leads Ineos Grenadier with Dani Martinez and Geraint Thomas, tested positive for COVID in the Tour de Suisse almost two weeks ago, retiring after four stages.

He has kept a low profile since then, but was included in the eight-man Ineos lineup announced on Monday. But unlike teammate Tom Pidcock, who seemed to shake off the virus quickly and without symptoms, Yates revealed that he suffered more than that. [At Ineos' pre-tour press conference in Copenhagen, he told reporters, "I'm much better now, but to be honest, it was pretty bad for three or four days."

"Talking to other players who have had it recently, some of them just had a scratchy throat, but I had a fever and chills. It's not ideal."

"I missed a really important stage in Switzerland. I was waiting for the weekend to do a real test.

Yates said that after the negative test he "got fit pretty quickly" and "didn't lose much" of the form he had built up over the past few months. However, given the symptoms and the still-mysterious issue of the long-term effects of the COVID-19 infection, he will begin the tour unsure of himself and his potential.

"I will find out in the TT if I am good enough.

Even a fully fit Yates is expected to lose time in the 13.7km opening time trial around Copenhagen. Even though he has been gaining strength in time trials over the past few years, his small, lightweight frame will always be a limiting factor on the power course.

The same can be said for the hectic opening road stage in Denmark and northern France. The wind, cobblestones, and the tension inherent in the first week of the Tour create a high-stress environment. The race reaches its first mountain on stage 7, La Planche des Belles Filles, but it is only in the second week that Yates will find his best terrain in the Alps.

"I've done pretty well in the TT this year. It's not easy to do well when you're less than 60 kg like me. That's just the way it is. But that's the way it is. You just have to keep your head down. I power up the climbs the same way I do in the TT. We'll try it in the race on Friday.

He described the first week of the Tour as a "war."

"I wish there was respect (in the group), but that's not the case anymore. I want to run through it as well as possible and hope that luck is on my side.

Yates lines up with Martinez and Thomas as part of the Ineos leadership trio. This is because Tadei Pogachar, who has won the last two races, is the overwhelming favorite to win, with the Jumbo Visma duo of Primoš Roglic and Jonas Vingegård behind him.

Yates has tormented Pogachar many times on the UAE tour, but it will be a different beast altogether to defeat him here.

He said of the February race, "It's been a long time ago. Me and Pogo had some good battles, but not this time."

"I want to do my best; I didn't have good luck at COVID and missed some important sessions. I just hope it hasn't affected me too much"

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As he said, that, along with Ineos' full hopes for the past three weeks, will be evident on the streets of the Danish capital on Friday evening.