Sean Yates is one of the biggest names in British cycling, not least because he is one of only four men ever to wear the most famous garment in sport: the yellow jersey of the Tour de France leader.

As a leading professional on the continent in the 1980s Yates was a member of the 'foreign legion', alongside Robert Millar, Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Phil Anderson, Allan Peiper and Greg LeMond. They were the English-speaking riders who helped change the face of the sport, and contributed to the growth in interest in the United States of America, Australia and Great Britain.

Yates earned a reputation as a strong time triallist - he set a record during the 1988 Tour de France for the fastest time trial in the race's history, winning stage six into Wasquehal. And as well as his Tour success he also claimed a stage win in another of the Grand Tours, the Vuelta a Espana, in the same year.

But it was as a domestique that Yates established himself as the ultimate team player. From the 1993 season, when he raced with the American Motorola team, he helped mentor one particular young rider, teaching him the ropes and keeping him in line. That rider's name was Lance Armstrong.

Yates was a domestique who appeared more than willing to sacrifice his own chances, despite being more than capable of winning for himself. But in the autumn of his career he got his reward, and enjoyed a glorious day in the sun, wearing the yellow jersey for one day during the 1994 Tour.

Armstrong often mentioned his debt to Yates for the help and advice the Englishman offered, and in 2005 the record Tour winner invited him to become a sports director at his Discovery Channel team. In the 2009 season Yates worked once again with Armstrong at the Astana team.

Of his move from Astana to Team Sky, Yates explains: "It was the right moment and it's the time to come back to my roots. The introduction of the Sky team in Britain is massive and I really wanted to be part of this, it's a big thing.

"Cycling is on the up in the UK thanks to the success of the track team and obviously it's going to be a big challenge to replicate that on the road but that is what everyone is aiming to do."