The former world champion remains a winner, and it was no coincidence that the Portuguese cyclist was the only one to defeat Remco Evenepoel after a breakaway at the end of this year. Now, with a new team, the illustrious son of Póvoa de Varzim detailed to GCN the events leading to his departure from Intermarché-Circus-Wanty and the initial moments with the youth of EF Education Easy-Post.
First training sessions with Markel Beloki
“At the moment, I only know the names, but I trained several times with Beloki (Markel, son of Joseba) this week. He’s only 18, but he’s an incredible cyclist. We have many young cyclists here, and what is probably needed, sometimes, is some calmness from experienced cyclists like me,” said Rui Costa to the British network GCN at the recent EF Education Training Camp in Spain.
Departure from Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
Rui Costa’s arrival at EF Education Easy-Post was relatively last minute. The Portuguese cyclist hoped that Intermarché-Circus-Wanty would offer him a contract extension, but financial issues related to Circus leaving as a team sponsor meant that no offer came close to Costa’s expectations.
Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of EF Education, seized the opportunity when he realized that Rui Costa was still on the market. “It’s a great team. It’s different from Intermarché because it’s bigger, but it’s a good group. I’m impressed with the team so far,” said Rui Costa.
Waiting for a response from Intermarché until the last moments
“No, I wasn’t nervous about the delay in the agreement here. I waited for Intermarché because they might have a new sponsor, but the situation with Circus couldn’t be resolved. But here, my focus is more or less the same, and it’s a great opportunity. It’s another year in the WorldTour for me.”
Calendar for 2024
The complete race calendar for Rui Costa has not been confirmed yet, but he will debut in the EF colors at the Mallorca Challenge.
“Tour de Flandres for sure. I competed there 12 years ago, but now cycling is completely different. I love the race because it’s super challenging and super technical. Experience really helps in a race like Flandres. Different riders can win, we’ve seen that with Tadej Pogacar,” he said.
“I don’t know my Grand Tour schedule at the moment, but I could do the Tour de France. I know I’ll start my season in Mallorca and then go to the Volta ao Algarve, Strade Bianche, Catalonia, Flandres, the Ardennes Classics, and then the Tour de Romandie. It’s a very good program with many races,” concludes the Portuguese rider, who despite his age, will have a year full of competitions and new challenges.
