Despite winning stages and the overall classification in the 2014 Tour de Suisse, Rui Costa had been waiting since 2013 for a victory in a Grand Tour stage. After so many years of anticipation, he finally achieved it by winning the 15th stage of the Vuelta. “The team believed in me from the very beginning,” revealed the former World Champion in the post-race interview.
After nine seasons with UAE Emirates and previously with Lampre, the Portuguese rider made a move to Intermarché-Circus-Wanty at the beginning of 2023. “It’s a good step for me. I started the season well with some victories, but things didn’t go as I wanted in the Tour. That’s when the idea of competing in the Vuelta came up. Initially, it wasn’t the plan, but I felt good in the Clásica San Sebastián, and I still wanted to prove my worth.”
Rui Costa doesn’t underestimate the significance of the victory for the team.
“The Vuelta is an important race for the team. It was a goal to chase stage victories, and I’m very happy that it worked out. I had to work hard for it. There’s a lot of unseen work involved in preparing for a three-week race,” he said.
Confusing Finish
Santiago Buitrago and Rui Costa had a misunderstanding, and Lennard Kämna even fell. “It was a strange situation. I saw that Kämna was heading to the corner a bit too fast. We had already passed him before, and I thought it could get tricky. After that, Buitrago didn’t want to take the lead anymore, but that’s how it goes. Fortunately, I managed to finish,” concluded the winner of the 15th stage of the Vuelta a España 2023.