Sean Yates has been a sports director for Team Astana since 2008 and before that worked with Team Discovery Channel and Team CSC.

Dave Brailsford, Team Manager of Team Sky had the following comments about Sean Yates. "Sean brings a wealth of experience and we've been very keen for a long time to bring him on board. He's well known as a hard-working sports director with a deep understanding of the sport and good connection to his riders and staff. He will be a true asset to our management team and a great colleague for the other Sports Directors we have signed.

The 49-year old Englishman rode for Peugeot, Fagor, 7-Eleven and Motorola in his 14-year pro career and was a team mate of Robert Millar and Lance Armstrong. He became the third Brit to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, in 1994, and rode 12 Tour de Frances during his career. There are definitely some learning curve effects at play here for Team Sky.