It's official, Rui Costa will ride for EF Education-EasyPost in 2024. The 37-year-old Portuguese rider joins the team from Intermarché-Circus-Wanty after an impressive year.
“Everyone, including myself, can grow alongside the younger riders. I am growing every year, learning despite my age. It’s true that I like to help but I also like to learn and improve,” Costa tells the official website of EF Education-EasyPost. “It’s a passion. I’ve been a professional for about 17 years already and I’m still as excited now as I was 15 years ago when cycling was everything to me."
After a few rough years, Costa returned to form in scintillating style in 2023, adding five wins to his palmares, including a stage of the Vuelta a Espana. “Motivation is something that grows as you live cycling. I want to get better every year and this year, with EF Education-EasyPost," he continues. “The goals are to keep adding, to keep winning. To start this season by winning, to finish winning, that brings me extra motivation for next year. I want to keep going in the same direction. That’s my objective.”
“A rider like Rui, who has been racing in the WorldTour for so many years, knows how to win,” added team boss Jonathan Vaughters. “What’s more, he knows how to translate near-wins into wins. His experience will be a powerful asset to this team. We have a handful of riders making their WorldTour debut next year, and Rui will be an invaluable mentor to them.”
“This is a very interesting team, a team that I have followed since I was young. It has always been a team that has caught my attention. You learn so much from cycling," Costa concludes. “I’m looking forward to next year and integrating into the team. We’ll go for some good results and start motivated, which is the most important thing.”