Rui Costa recalls Vuelta a Espana win and talk with Remco Evenepoel - "I told him to forget about the 15th and he tried anyway and didn't win"

Rui Costa was one of the animators of the last stage of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana, taking part in the sensational escape in Madrid and he recalls words he gave out to Remco Evenepoel the day after his comeback in Belagua.

"It was a great spectacle because it was different from the usual, the last stage is always decided by a sprint. I knew it would be difficult to win, just by pulling away, but I wanted the best possible result." However, it was on the 15th stage that the Portuguese crossed the finish line first and raised his arms high, ending 10 years without a Grand Tour win. In the first person, he explains the before, during and after of the stage, in an interview with the Portuguese sports newspaper "O Jogo".

"Remco had lost the chance to fight for victory against GC after a less good day. It looked like it had given up. But he got back up. He's a strong racer, super explosive and he was number 1, he'd won the Vuelta the year before. I commented to teammates the day before that I thought he was a racer for the Classics and one-week races. It will be difficult to stand up to Vingegaard, Roglic or Pogacar. I'm not going to identify myself as his equal, because I'm not like him, but I've experienced what he's trying to do, trying to change what's genetically wrong. I was an excellent one-week or one-day racer, and I wanted to apply everything to the Grand Tours. It was very difficult."

Rui Costa admits he admires the Belgian rider: "He was my riding companion several times. We have a friendship, we exchange messages. I even said to him: 'I've got this, that and the other stages booked. You should go for the harder ones, because no one will fight you on those'... I told him to forget about the 15th and he tried anyway and didn't win." Rui Costa finished, laughing. Remco was one of the first to cross the finish line to congratulate Rui Costa, in an image that illustrates their friendship and complicity.