Rui Costa: a rising star?

[miguelvazpinto]

there are a few portuguese guys here(i am also portuguese) indeed tho some don't post that often.

anyway now that you got your answer, was this the answer you were expecting?

are you going to watch the GdL next saturday mad waiting for a good result like me?

Yes, I was expecting these kind of answers and analysis about Rui Costa´s skills and potencial and I hope he can reach a good result at GdL.
I´ve puted this thread because I truly believe that Rui Costa is a real rising star.

 

[canyonball]

As you may have figured out by my avatar, he is a favourite of mine. I agree with the analysis made by other posters. Paulinho lacked the ambition, Machado lacks the brains, Rui Costa has both. Valverde's arrival may have an impact on Costa's chances and roll inside the team, but at 24 years old I believe his presence might do him more good than harm. If it doesn't work, there's always life beyond Movistar...(

Já agora, aqui mora outro português.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Rui left Abarcá at the end of 2010 because of disagreements over which races he did (he felt he wasn't getting a good enough calendar considering the results he'd done). Then of course you had the whole farce of the supplement positive, and when he was without a team, well, firstly beggars can't be choosers, and secondly, Unzué still likes him and rates him, so Movistar were the best offer available. It's now up to him to prove that Unzué was wrong the first time around, but also to justify the faith Unzué showed by picking him back up.

With an overall win in Madrid, a World Tour one-day race and a stage of the Tour, he's certainly going about it the right way, and given how much misfortune has befallen the team this year he's certainly staked a good claim to a much bigger role next year.

 

[jens_attacks]

so who was voted the best portugese rider of the year?

my kind of sprinter,chrono man and climber.can't believe no one signed him yet.

 

[c&cfan]

so who was voted the best portugese rider of the year?

my kind of sprinter,chrono man and climber.can't believe no one signed him yet.

some people here are saying that ribeiro is barbosa 2.0. however i don't believe it.

for me this guy is valverde 2.0 since i can remember him. he was always amazing in hilly stages and hilly finishes. that obviously makes him get nice GC results here in portugal but that's only because he is a valverde. barbosa was different. barbosa was a fighter fueled with ambition and something else but this guy is just a "natural" valverde.

those top teams are really stupid to not buy him. however, the portuguese federation is even more stupid. no selection for the worlds when he could easily get a top5 in last years race?seriously? this guy would murder anyone at milan-sanremo.

 

[Parrulo]

oh common lets not overdue it. yes sergio ribeiro is a very good rider who should be on a much better world tour team getting some good wins. but nothing indicates that he has what it takes to deal with stuff like san remo or a tough worlds. besides isn't he like 32?

 

[El Pistolero]

oh common lets not overdue it. yes sergio ribeiro is a very good rider who should be on a much better world tour team getting some good wins. but nothing indicates that he has what it takes to deal with stuff like san remo or a tough worlds. besides isn't he like 32?

Yeah, Valverde is Ribeiro 2.0 and not the other way around

 

[Parrulo]

Yeah, Valverde is Ribeiro 2.0 and not the other way around

lol anyway enough ribeiro talk

we could turn this into the official rui costa thread tbh, i think he will give us plenty to talk about over the next few seasons.

what do you guys think he can get at lombardy? the course is pretty hard this year so i think a top 10 would already be very cool

 

[c&cfan]

oh common lets not overdue it. yes sergio ribeiro is a very good rider who should be on a much better world tour team getting some good wins. but nothing indicates that he has what it takes to deal with stuff like san remo or a tough worlds. besides isn't he like 32?

i was at Santo Tirso this year (10 to 20 meters before the finish line), and i can't remember anyone doing that kind of climb like he did. Obviously i was letting my fanboy side eat my rational side in my earlier post, however i truly believe that the guy that can finish 8th in a HC climb (no breakaway), win this sort of finish like he did and win flat stages could get in the mix at least in 2010 worlds.

obviously the competition out there is much harder, but Sergio never had the chance to prove himself out there and that's sad. he has the goods.

but this thread is about Rui Costa. I really think that he is amazing, not only because of his talent but also because of his brain. I'm 20, so i never saw a portuguese cyclist like him. Paulinho had the talent but no ambition, Machado is just crazy, like a 20year prospect and i really like that in him. when he is on, he provides an amazing show. eventually he will be 30, and i just hope that he ends it with no regrets. I just don't believe that he is a stage racer like everyone is forcing him to be since he became pro. cardoso is a good sprinter and maybe he will have a good international career. azevedo is a joke..

Basically Rui is the best portuguese cyclist that i ever saw. the force is strong in him. Amazing year. I can't see a bettini/valverde/rebellin in him, but i can see a LBL win just like vinokourov did. He should be wearing the portuguese champion kit.

 

[Kwibus]

Fleche is absolutely not suited to him, he's a tactically smart rider, Fleche is just raw power.

He knows when to suckwheels
In Montreal he was in the big break before the final break and he did absolutely nothing there. It's smart, but he won't make many friends with it and I doubt he can keep doing that. He's starting to deliver with wins so when he's in a break others will watch him closely.

 

[Kwibus]

As you may have figured out by my avatar, he is a favourite of mine. I agree with the analysis made by other posters. Paulinho lacked the ambition, Machado lacks the brains, Rui Costa has both. Valverde's arrival may have an impact on Costa's chances and roll inside the team, but at 24 years old I believe his presence might do him more good than harm. If it doesn't work, there's always life beyond Movistar...(

Já agora, aqui mora outro português.

Valverde will definately be the leader of Movistar in the races Rui Costa is best. This can also be an advantage for him! He attacks first and Valverde can wait and defend him which allows Rui Costa to stay away.

 

[ren_rm]

obviously the competition out there is much harder, but Sergio never had the chance to prove himself out there and that's sad. he has the goods.

You might have point about his non-selection to the worlds , but regarding his career he has mainly himself to blame. After having a great season he went to Benfica and soon after had positive control for EPO. If he kept having the same results while riding clean I'm sure some international team would be interested in him. Now, after a suspension, at 31, it's probably too late although Bruno Pires had his chance while showing a lot less results.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I generally like portuguese riders from azevedo onwards{i wish he have a team of his own}. Re: Rui Costa, he will surely win a hilly classic in the not so distant feature... say 2013.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

i was at Santo Tirso this year (10 to 20 meters before the finish line), and i can't remember anyone doing that kind of climb like he did. Obviously i was letting my fanboy side eat my rational side in my earlier post, however i truly believe that the guy that can finish 8th in a HC climb (no breakaway), win this sort of finish like he did and win flat stages could get in the mix at least in 2010 worlds.

How about Eladio Jiménez in 2009? And if you want to discount him because of the positive, then Rubén Plaza opened up a much bigger gap to come 2nd on that climb than Ribeiro did to win.

Ribeiro isn't as ludicrous as Cândido Barbosa was on the climbs. But he's more of a Bettini than a Valverde, let's not kid ourselves he's about to compete for GTs and in races like the Dauphiné. He's a big fish in a small pond in Portugal. He wasn't too spectacular in Castilla y León or Asturias, and the Volta is his obvious season's goal. He deserves a chance at the next level, but by no means is success guaranteed.

I'm more interested in how Costa develops, and even more interested in how André and Hernâni (especially Hernâni) develop at Caja Rural since they'll likely get to do Catalunya, País Vasco, San Sebastián and maybe the Vuelta (it's starting in the team's homeland of Navarre next year). I really, really hope they forsake Burgos and do the Volta instead, though it may be a bit too much as a warmup race (didn't do Cunego or Tiralongo any harm in '09 of course)...

obviously the competition out there is much harder, but Sergio never had the chance to prove himself out there and that's sad. he has the goods.

but this thread is about Rui Costa. I really think that he is amazing, not only because of his talent but also because of his brain. I'm 20, so i never saw a portuguese cyclist like him. Paulinho had the talent but no ambition, Machado is just crazy, like a 20year prospect and i really like that in him. when he is on, he provides an amazing show. eventually he will be 30, and i just hope that he ends it with no regrets. I just don't believe that he is a stage racer like everyone is forcing him to be since he became pro. cardoso is a good sprinter and maybe he will have a good international career. azevedo is a joke..

Basically Rui is the best portuguese cyclist that i ever saw. the force is strong in him. Amazing year. I can't see a bettini/valverde/rebellin in him, but i can see a LBL win just like vinokourov did. He should be wearing the portuguese champion kit.[/QUOTE]

 

[Angliru]

Valverde will definately be the leader of Movistar in the races Rui Costa is best. This can also be an advantage for him! He attacks first and Valverde can wait and defend him which allows Rui Costa to stay away.

Sounds like he'll be filling the role Purito held before he left for Katusha. I see major opportunities for him in 2012 as Valverde finds his racing legs again.

 

[greenedge]

So no one thinks that he could ever win F-W even though he won Montreal this year and could develop into a more explosive or dogged climber??? I said i expect him to win F-W but podium LBL soon. No timeframe for F-W. LBL suits him because it includes multiple climbs.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

F-W tends to be a sprint on the Mur de Huy. He's not strong enough for that. One of Costa's biggest strengths is knowing the groups to get into, and being the best (or smartest) of a small or medium sized group. As a result, Amstel Gold and Liège are both races he could excel in, but Flèche seldom if ever comes down to attack groups and breaks holding on.

 

[Parrulo]

F-W tends to be a sprint on the Mur de Huy. He's not strong enough for that. One of Costa's biggest strengths is knowing the groups to get into, and being the best (or smartest) of a small or medium sized group. As a result, Amstel Gold and Liège are both races he could excel in, but Flèche seldom if ever comes down to attack groups and breaks holding on.

ya exactly that unless he has some sort of gilbertesque improvement he will never even contend fleche

 

[Michielveedeebee]

ya exactly that unless he has some sort of gilbertesque improvement he will never even contend fleche

He's only 25, Gilbert couldn't dream of winning FW at 25 either...

 

[Parrulo]

He's only 25, Gilbert couldn't dream of winning FW at 25 either...

ya thats why i mentioned a gilbertesque improvement, he only turned 25 last week and gilbert only truly came of age at 28 so i guess time will tell

 

[Havetts]

The way he won Montreal was extremely smart and well ridden, I think that he can be one of the top tier contenders for the hilly classics indeed .

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

The reason why some of the seemingly talented Portuguese riders don't get snaffled up by the bigger teams is that the sport has cleaned up quite a lot in very recent times and as with most things Portuguese, the mentality in cycling in Portugal has yet to catch up. It's too risky investing in riders who may be questionable by reputation or association.

I like to think Rui Costa is different from many of his predecessors and think he'll have sucess in the Phil Gilbert mould, I don't see him as someone who can excel in the high mountains, but I can see him gaining more wins in the manner of his stage win in the Tour which was very impressive.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The reason why some of the seemingly talented Portuguese riders don't get snaffled up by the bigger teams is that the sport has cleaned up quite a lot in very recent times and as with most things Portuguese, the mentality in cycling in Portugal has yet to catch up. It's too risky investing in riders who may be questionable by reputation or association.

I like to think Rui Costa is different from many of his predecessors and think he'll have sucess in the Phil Gilbert mould, I don't see him as someone who can excel in the high mountains, but I can see him gaining more wins in the manner of his stage win in the Tour which was very impressive.

Well, it's not the ONLY reason, but it is a major reason.

Others include that they're usually buried in their development riding for Puerto exiles who've led most Portuguese teams for the last 5 years, and that the Portuguese pro péloton has been dwindling in numbers for a while, so the market gets flooded with espoirs from the vibrant U23 scene, with very few spots in pro teams available. And one of the biggest problems is the doldrums Spanish continental cycling is facing, which makes it progressively harder for the Portuguese domestic races to attract professional teams, so many are going amateur or disappearing entirely. Four years ago, in addition to the four Portuguese teams we have now, you had extra Portuguese pro teams (Liberty, Benfica, Loulé and LA-MSS) plus, whereas now there's just Caja Rural and Andalucía who cross the border - back then there was Andalucía, Comunidad Valenciana, Fuerteventura-Canarias, Relax-GAM and Karpin. This meant that in addition to the Volta they could run some other races to a higher standard and of course it meant Portuguese riders were being seen internationally more often (although they were also not trusted, and not without reason, at the time as well).

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

Well, it's not the ONLY reason, but it is a major reason.

Others include that they're usually buried in their development riding for Puerto exiles who've led most Portuguese teams for the last 5 years, and that the Portuguese pro péloton has been dwindling in numbers for a while, so the market gets flooded with espoirs from the vibrant U23 scene, with very few spots in pro teams available. And one of the biggest problems is the doldrums Spanish continental cycling is facing, which makes it progressively harder for the Portuguese domestic races to attract professional teams, so many are going amateur or disappearing entirely. Four years ago, in addition to the four Portuguese teams we have now, you had extra Portuguese pro teams (Liberty, Benfica, Loulé and LA-MSS) plus, whereas now there's just Caja Rural and Andalucía who cross the border - back then there was Andalucía, Comunidad Valenciana, Fuerteventura-Canarias, Relax-GAM and Karpin. This meant that in addition to the Volta they could run some other races to a higher standard and of course it meant Portuguese riders were being seen internationally more often (although they were also not trusted, and not without reason, at the time as well).

Unfortunately behind everything you mention, doping looms large. The lack of willing investment from cash strapped Iberian companies who once faced with reality, see that investing in cycling teams with questionable lineage isn't the smartest thing to do is a sign of the times for Portuguese and Spanish cycling. Generally cycling is a good bang for euro investment as far as marketing goes, but the cash isn't there. It maybe partly due to the recession but that's just not it. Given a choice of investing in a Portuguese or a British/Aussie/American/Northern European cyclist with similar Palmares, Tugas and Spaniards will be seen as more risky, irrespective of quality.

 

[Fester]

Unfortunately behind everything you mention, doping looms large. The lack of willing investment from cash strapped Iberian companies who once faced with reality, see that investing in cycling teams with questionable lineage isn't the smartest thing to do is a sign of the times for Portuguese and Spanish cycling. Generally cycling is a good bang for euro investment as far as marketing goes, but the cash isn't there. It maybe partly due to the recession but that's just not it. Given a choice of investing in a Portuguese or a British/Aussie/American/Northern European cyclist with similar Palmares, Tugas and Spaniards will be seen as more risky, irrespective of quality.

Basically people are hypocrites is what your trying to say. I can't see why an Iberian is more likely to "be a problem" that anyone else. In terms of investment, I don't know how Iberia companies spend their marketing budgets, but cycling is still an excellent choice -a choice that isn't being made.