Rui Costa will do the Tour de France with an eye on the Olympic Games

He finished 2023 with 5 victories and, at the age of 37, he is embarking on a new adventure with EF Education - EasyPost, after a season with the Belgian team Intermarché - Circus - Wanty and many years with UAE - Team Emirates.

He looks back on the season just ended and says: "I'm happy, proud. I was happy with Intermarché, who supported me from the start last year. I was racing in a good, organized family. I found myself again. I wasn't comfortable at the UAE. I agreed to work for the team leaders. It felt good to win the Tour de France with Tadej Pogacar, it was beautiful, I always wanted it, but I wanted opportunities. I was reborn at Intermarché."

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Asked if the change of team was the chip he needed for that rebirth, he says: " When I made the leap there, we planned to get results. That gave me encouragement. I was happier. I focus a lot when I have individual goals. I wanted to stay at Intermarché, I was well received. I had races to my liking. I didn't have the Tour of Spain planned and they let me do it because I felt good after San Sebastián [top-10]. It wasn't possible to continue because the UCI doesn't allow a sponsor to come from casinos [he's talking about Circus]. Regarding his first impressions of the North American team, he says: "I went on an adventure [laughs]. I used that week of training to draw my own conclusions. EF is much bigger in terms of structure. They're very organized, they have Portuguese players and I'm satisfied."

Costa continues to talk about EF Education and the opportunities it will give him, "In one-week races it depends on who I have in the team. I never give up on the overall if I'm doing well, but I'm willing to help. In the Tour de France, the block is lined up for Carapaz. I don't try to be leader in three weeks. At EF I have stronger riders in those races and I look at the stages. I have my objectives. The one-day races are above me. In the Ardennes I know what I can do and what I can't do. It's getting harder and harder to fight for Liège, my favorite. There are a lot of riders coming through. Even on short, explosive climbs, they're smaller athletes. I become slower than them. I find it hard to win, but I keep believing. On a good day I can do a great result."

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Rui Costa spoke to O Jogo about the highlights of his calendar and where his focus will be: Throughout the season we have several objectives. Some races serve as preparation for others. After the Tour, there's a short lead-up to the Games. At the last Games, those who came to win came from the Tour. The Tour is the right plan. I'm going there with the Olympic Games in mind. I'd love to do it again. It's a goal. I know that's up to the national coach [who has two vacancies] and I can see that most of the riders are going to do the Tour to prepare: João Almeida, Nelson Oliveira and Ruben Guerreiro. Basically, the best race to prepare for the Games is the Tour. Of course, it will always be special to be at the Tour with a new team. It's the most important Grand Tour. And it starts from Florence, where I was world champion. It'll be good to be back."

What about the World Championships to be held in Switzerland? Are they in Poveiro's plans or does he not expect another attempt to win the rainbow jersey, just like in 2013? We know that nowadays either a World Cup has over 4000 or 5000 meters of accumulation or it gives an opportunity to a fast man. Not a pure sprinter, but Matthews, Van der Poel, Van Aert. If it's a three-minute climb, it's hard to unload a 75-kilo sprinter. The fact that it's at the end of September and in Switzerland makes it interesting. Pogacar is controlling it. It's clear that I'm betting more on the World Championships than the Games. But the level is very even. Sometimes there are 30 riders on the last mountain of the Grand Tours. In the classics, I sometimes didn't even ride in the last hour. Nutrition has made great strides. Everything is heavy and it's the details that make a difference: the tires, the rain gear..."

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