Rui Costa to lead UAE – Abu Dhabi Professional Cycling Team

Matt Jones - Editor 00:37 05/01/2017
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  • An exciting future for UAE cycling.

    Rui Costa revealed he had offers from numerous teams ahead of the upcoming UCI World Tour season, but claims it felt “natural” to stay with his family at Lampre – which will be rebranded as UAE – Abu Dhabi Professional Cycling Team for 2017.

    Costa will captain the team – the first time in the history of the World Tour that a UAE-owned team will compete.

    Sponsored by Kopaonik Property Investment LLC, the team became the 18th to join the 2017 World Tour last month and replaces Lampre-Merida which the team had been known by for the last four years.

    The team launch was conducted at Abu Dhabi’s St Regis hotel on the Corniche, where Costa was unveiled alongside five of his team-mates who all donned the team’s new black and white uniforms which will have the UAE flag emblazoned across the jerseys.

    Costa was joined by his colleagues in the capital, including South Africa’s Louis Meintjes, Slovenian Matej Mohoric, Italian duo Filippo Ganna and Andrea Guardini, a stage winner at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Tour, and UAE rider Youssef Mirza.

    Having been part of professional cycling for 23 years, when the Galbusera family first put their name to the Colnago–Lampre team in 1991, Costa admitted Lampre’s demise was sad, but he insists he is excited about the future with UAE – Abu Dhabi.

    “Life goes on,” admitted the 30-year-old, who finished 19th individually on the World Tour last year, while Lampre came 15th in the team standings, a massive 1,029 points behind champions, Nairo Quintana’s Movistar Team.

    “The Galbusera family was behind Lampre for 20 years so of course it’s sad, but there is new life and I’m excited about the future.”

    Costa, winner of three stages of the Tour de France and road race world champion in 2013, said he could have joined a new team in the off-season, but feels part of the family at UAE – Abu Dhabi.

    “I had many, many proposals, but I am part of the family here,” he said.

    “The family now has a new challenge in front of them that is very exciting. I feel part of this family already so it was natural for me to stay. The best choice is the one you make and the choice I made was Abu Dhabi.”

    He only turned 30 three months ago but he is surrounded by youngsters in the UAE – Abu Dhabi stable.

    Mirza is 28 and Guardini 27, while Meintjes (24), Mohoric (22) and Ganna (20) are younger still, but despite their tender years, Costa feels success is UAE – Abu Dhabi’s for the taking.

    He added: “The aims for the season are clear for us. We want to achieve success both as a team and individually. It’s a challenging environment but I think that will help us.

    “We are targeting the classics. The team is very well organised, it’s big, it’s bold and I think we are only going to get more successful in the future.

    “I am only 30, so I don’t feel like I am a father to everyone, but of course my target is to help the younger generation. If they want to learn something then obviously I am here to offer my experience.”

    Giuseppe Saronni will act as team manager and it is he, together with project manager Mauro Gianetti, who helped broker a deal with Kopaonik president Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri in just ten days after original funding from China failed to materialise.

    The UCI awarded UAE – Abu Dhabi a two-year licence on December 22.

    Saronni re-signed Costa, Diego Ulissi and Sacha Modolo in August and have since added Ben Swift from Team Sky, Darwin Atapuma from BMC, Vegard Stake Laengen from IAM Cycling, and Marco Marcato from Wanty-Groupe Gobert.

    The team will make its race debut at the People’s Choice Classic criterium on January 15 and then enter the season-opening World Tour race, the Tour Down Under, which begins a couple of days later on January 17.

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