After six years at UAE Team Emirates, a fully refreshed and refocused Rui Costa has a new lease on life following his switch to Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, something that is already paying off as evidenced by overall victory at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana.
"The truth is the team is great, a very nice environment to work in. I'm really enjoying it and we're all super motivated," Costa said in an interview with Cyclingnews. "At UAE I was a bit limited. The change of teams has brought me new opportunities and with that comes new motivation."
"The condition has always been there. The only thing is that at UAE it was a different plan, a different role. I had my small opportunities but I usually ended up with the 'capos' of the team, like Pogačar, [João] Almeida, [Juan] Ayuso. That took away the opportunities to fight for my own objectives," Costa continued. "It's a smaller team here, but I don't mean badly run. There is maybe a bit less pressure, but the objective is still to be up there. We have to fight and we have to do great things."
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Having started the season in electric form picking up victories at Trofeo Calvia and the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana, Costa is keen to ensure he carries on winning. "This year has started well. The feelings I've had have been very good, the results I've had have been perfect. So for now I'm very happy with how it's all going."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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