SIMON Yates says he and his brother Adam will be partners in crime, rather than rivals, as they plot a route through the mountains at the year’s Tour de France.

The 22-year-old Bury twins are in the top 50 of this year’s race, which is Adam’s debut on the Tour and Simon’s second stab at cycling’s blue riband event.

They have stayed out of trouble in the first nine stages, which are predominantly flat, as they wait for a chance to prove their worth in the mountains when the Tour makes its way into the Pyrenees on stage 10 today.

The former Derby High School pupils will then be going all out for a first stage win and Simon, who made it to the second rest day last year before being withdrawn, says sibling rivalry will not get in the way.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “We get along really well and there is never any rivalry. It’s all friendly, just a bit of banter and a few teasing words but as I said we get along really well so there won’t be any issue there.”

Simon added that he is not concerned about the loss of overall time on the leading riders at the start of the Tour, saying he is not yet ready for a stab at the yellow jersey and intended to save his legs for the mountain stages.

He said it was always going to be probable they would lose some time on the first nine stages which are relatively flat and he and his brother specialise on the slopes.

“I am not really suited to these flat lands so I think it’d be actually hard to arrive after these stages in the same time as these GC (general classification) guys," said Simon.

“That gives me a much bigger opportunity to go for stage wins. I can save the legs until we get there.

“I just don’t think I’m ready (for a shot at the yellow jersey). I’ve not even finished a Grand Tour yet. To be saying I could even be challenging for the overall… there’s a long way to go yet.

“Once we get a few years down the line we can start talking about that, but I think at the minute, mentally and physically, I am not ready."