On September 29, 2013,
Rui Costa won a victory that would change his career as a professional cyclist forever. The Portuguese rider went from being a "domestique" to becoming one of the leading cyclists in the world professional peloton.
It was on a rainy afternoon in Florence, Italy, that the cyclist from Póvoa de Varzim beat Joaquim "Purito" Rodriguez in the sprint after a very risky move. Rui Costa left his fellow escapees
Alejandro Valverde and
Vincenzo Nibali behind, bridging the gap to join Joaquim Rodriguez, who was leading the race. In spectacular fashion, the Portuguese rider beat "Purito" Rodriguez in a two-man sprint finish, so that he could wear the rainbow jersey for the whole of 2014.