Simon Yates will start the 2020 season with the Tour Down Under, bypassing the Tour de France and focusing primarily on the Giro d'Italia and the Tokyo Olympics.

The Briton, who is competing his seventh season with Mitchelton-Scott, will start his campaign with three Australian races: the Tour Down Under, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, and the Jayco Herald Sun Tour.

Later in the year, Yates' first big target will be the Giro, which he led for almost two weeks in 2018, winning three stages along the way. He finished eighth overall last season, but recovered from a "heartbreaking" performance to win two stages at the Tour de France in July and finished the season in August.

With the Olympics on his mind and the road race a week after the Tour de France ends, Yates feels that heading to the Giro is his best option for a Grand Tour assault in 2019.

"I feel I didn't reach the level I expected last year," Yates said. 'I want to come back in the best shape possible and try again. Plus, with the Olympics and the Tour de France so close this year, I think the best way to get to the Olympics is to ride the Giro."

"The 2020 route is a very traditional course, with lots of time trial kilometers and high elevation passes. We will have to be ready for anything."

"We will have to be ready for anything.

The 2020 Giro will be his third in a row, but Yates has yet to compete in the Tour Down Under. Mitchelton Scott's teammate, the versatile Daryl Impey from South Africa, has won the race both of the past two years.

"As a team, we prefer to have more options in the Tour Down Under. This race has been settled with a bonus second many times."

"Darryl has found a winning formula. Daryl has found the winning formula and he knows how to approach the race. Of course, I personally prefer more climbing, but regardless of that, I think we can do everything we can to win as a team."

"I've always wanted to do the Aussie summer. Of course there is a lot of pressure to race for an Australian team, but it's a lot of fun and a great experience to immerse yourself in the racing. It's also my home race, so the guys are really motivated to give it their all."

Yates joins a number of stars who will start the season in Australia. Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), Richie Porte, world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek Segafredo), and Michał Kwiatkowski (Team Ineos) will all compete in the Tour Down Under.

The 2020 Tour Down Under will take place from January 21-26.