ADAM Yates was not taking victory in the race for the white jersey for granted as the Tour de France headed into the Alps yesterday.

The Bury cyclist made it to the second rest day in possession of the jersey for the Tour's best young rider after opening up a 3mins 03secs gap over South Africa's Louis Meintjes.

Strong rides on Mount Ventoux last Friday, where Yates briefly took possession of the yellow jersey after leader Chris Froome was involved in a crash with a camera bike, and in the following day's time trial gave the Bury Clarion member a cushion in the race for the white jersey.

And while he has slipped to third place overall, 2:34 behind Froome, Yates looks well placed to remain on the podium when the Tour reaches its finale in Paris on Sunday.

But the 23-year-old former Derby High School pupil knows, after an action packed race already, that anything can happen in the four remaining Alpine stages before the procession into the French capital.

"There is still a long way to go to Paris, with lots of climbing and a time trial still to come," he said.

Whether or not he has the energy remaining for a final push to the summit of cycling and challenge Froome for his title, Matt White, the sporting director of Yates' team, Orica BikeExchange, believes his man has already shown he is a world-class climber.

And he will need all of his ability to come to the fore in the final stages, which include finishes in Alpine ski resorts Megeve and Mont Blanc.

"He has already over-exceeded the ambitions we had for him this Tour," said White.

“We will have a better answer by the end of the week (as to whether he will one day challenge for the yellow jersey).

"This is the first time he’s ridden through a Grand Tour going for general classification, and the end of the Tour is when you will have an idea.

"One thing we know is that he is a world-class climber. There is no argument there.

"He’s very competitive whenever the road goes uphill.

"He’s only 23 and I can see him improving for the next 10 years. What we are seeing now is a snapshot of what we will see in the future.”

White also gave an insight into the Bury rider's character, admitting he prefers to concentrate on the job at hand, rather than the showbiz that surrounds the Tour.

"In the last two weeks we’ve seen a big shift in Adam’s mindset, in his belief in himself,” adds White.

“There are certain things he doesn’t enjoy, the obligation to talk to the media, everything that goes with the white jersey.

"At the Tour you are on call 24/7.

"Anyone with a notebook or a tape recorder can ask you a question.

"He is a quiet guy but he’s adapted to that. He’s been thrown in at the deep end on the biggest stage in cycling and he’s adapted well. He just gets on with it.”