Rui Costa Discussion Thread

[lenric]

Re: Re:

Anyone kows what will be his objectives for the season, and more important of all what will be his role in a tottaly renew team?

It will be interesting to see. If only one or other of Martin and Aru had joined, there would be plenty of room for him left as a leader. But with Aru and Martin both ahead of him in the pecking order and likely to be riding very different calendars from each other it gets trickier. Martin in particular poses a problem because his specialties map quite closely onto Costa’s and he’s better at them. Costa though is not one of nature’s domestiques so it’s very hard to see him in a support role regularly.

UAE, back when they were Lampre were notorious for not riding as a team. That used to work against Costa, but now, if the team is still a bit free-for-all in its approach, it might work for him. Perhaps he gets a lot of free roles or protected status and as a shrewd tactical rider he could benefit from being in the shadow of a teammate.

I see Rui Costa as a wild card. Though not really sure for what, since at GTs he'll hardly ever top-20 again.

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

I see Rui Costa as a wild card. Though not really sure for what, since at GTs he'll hardly ever top-20 again.

He's unlikely to be a GC threat, but he can be sent up the road in breaks hunting stages, and then pick moments to strategically sit up for his leader. A bit like Mollema at the Tour this year.

Also, if Aru targets the Giro, and Martin does the Tour, Costa could then have a free run at the Vuelta.

 

[drebelo]

Re: Re:

I see Rui Costa as a wild card. Though not really sure for what, since at GTs he'll hardly ever top-20 again.

He's unlikely to be a GC threat, but he can be sent up the road in breaks hunting stages, and then pick moments to strategically sit up for his leader. A bit like Mollema at the Tour this year.

Also, if Aru targets the Giro, and Martin does the Tour, Costa could then have a free run at the Vuelta.

Hmmm I'm not seeing that. Last year he deffinetly showed that hes not meant to be a GT leader. I think he will be doing a similar role that he had on the Movistar times. A good domestic with a certain freedom to go stage hunting. I also thing that maybe Aru will go for Vuelta anyway so that leaves him no space for being a leader, and since probably he will be back for the tour even if he goes to vuelta he may not be that fresh. Last year he did the giro Vuelta and after a bitter sweet Giro he did the vuelta tottaly under radar so even if he does the vuelta he will not be much fresh.
I might see him focus on ardennes and mainly the worlds and tour de suisse besides the GT's
I'm Hoping to see him get back to that 2013-2014 form

 

[HelloDolly]

Rui Costa will ride for Dan Martin in the Ardennes ....this makes sense as Martin is by far the better prospect now

The most Costa can hope for is leadership in the races MArtin & Aru do not attend ....Tour of California , Abu Dhabi, Tour of Swiss

 

[Valv.Piti]

There is a long way from Rui Costa 2013 at Movistar to now. Damn he was good back then.

 

[Leinster]

Re:

Rui Costa will ride for Dan Martin in the Ardennes ....this makes sense as Martin is by far the better prospect now

The most Costa can hope for is leadership in the races MArtin & Aru do not attend ....Tour of California , Abu Dhabi, Tour of Swiss

Costa and Martin are the same age, and Costa’s record at Liege is more consistent than Martin’s, so I don’t think it’s as clear cut as you make it sound.

Most would probably weigh up the options and say that Martin is the more likely winner if they get to the finale in the same group, but it would be unwise to burn Costa off early in the race in favour of Martin, or have him wait for Martin late on, rather than have him work as a foil and to make attacks on the last 2 or 3 climbs that other riders can tow Martin up to.

 

[GraftPunk]

I'm thinking some classics, and moving into a super-domestique role. He's out of his prime, but can very likely be an excellent mentor or road captain if properly utilized.

 

[May0maniac]

Rui Costa is pretty good in shorter stage races, so he could be the team leader or at least a co-leader for races like Tour de Suisse, Romandie and Paris-Nice.
The Ardennes could be interesting, both Rui Costa and Ulissi could cover attacks or go on the attack while Dan Martin marks the biggest favourites, they both have a decent sprint, so having them on the attack could actually be a good move.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Rui Costa will ride for Dan Martin in the Ardennes ....this makes sense as Martin is by far the better prospect now

The most Costa can hope for is leadership in the races MArtin & Aru do not attend ....Tour of California , Abu Dhabi, Tour of Swiss

Rui Costa will pretend that he's riding for Dan Martin and will do what he always does, ride for himself

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

Rui Costa will ride for Dan Martin in the Ardennes ....this makes sense as Martin is by far the better prospect now

The most Costa can hope for is leadership in the races MArtin & Aru do not attend ....Tour of California , Abu Dhabi, Tour of Swiss

Costa and Martin are the same age, and Costa’s record at Liege is more consistent than Martin’s, so I don’t think it’s as clear cut as you make it sound.

Most would probably weigh up the options and say that Martin is the more likely winner if they get to the finale in the same group, but it would be unwise to burn Costa off early in the race in favour of Martin, or have him wait for Martin late on, rather than have him work as a foil and to make attacks on the last 2 or 3 climbs that other riders can tow Martin up to.

Their age has nothing to do wiht it...a blind person can see that Martin is the far better prospect for a win...with 2 seconds in 2017 and previous wins (and seconds) in one day classics. The speed of his finish is amasing

Costa is not of the same calibre now....simple really no matter how complicated you want to make it

Costa will not beat Valverde (if he can get back form), Kwaitoski, Allaphillipe , Tuens, etc...only Martin is in the same class now

 

[Leinster]

Martin is the better finisher, but he was nowhere when Costa was able to follow Albasini in the winning break in 2016. Liege is about surviving to the end, and then about sprinting.

 

[Blanco]

I'm not sure if Martin is faster of the two. Uphill yes, no doubt. But on the flat I'm not so sure. Some here forgot that Costa was a World Champion, and how he got that win. The man is cunning as anyone. And he also had some high placings in Monuments. He and Martin could work very well and could be pretty dangerous for anybody. But I don't think Costa will work for Martin in classic sense (aka setting the pace, chasing, leading out). He might try to go in some move on RaF or St.Nicholas, but if that fails he's going to save himself for the very end.

 

[drebelo]

Let's not forget that there is a guy named Diego Ulissi that will want to make a good impression in the ardennes classics too. Ulissi and Costa didn't work really well together so I'm curious to see what they will do with Martin in their team. I have a feeling that yet again it will be any man for itself. Let see If the UAE staff can put some sense in their heads cause they have an amazing team in their hands if they work together

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Let's not forget that there is a guy named Diego Ulissi that will want to make a good impression in the ardennes classics too. Ulissi and Costa didn't work really well together so I'm curious to see what they will do with Martin in their team. I have a feeling that yet again it will be any man for itself. Let see If the UAE staff can put some sense in their heads cause they have an amazing team in their hands if they work together

I don’t think that there will necessarily be that much conflict at the Ardennes: Martin doesn’t care about Amstel, while he’s clearly the only one with a chance at Flèche, which is just about pure strength. The only race where they might get in each other’s way is LBL. And even at Liege there are ways for Costa and/or Ulissi to ride for themselves while also helping Martin, ie by attacking before Ans. Then again, this being the ex-Lampre, we could easily see Costa and Ulissi hanging around to the end and still not helping. Management need to be very clear that if Costa or Ulissi want their own chance they have to attack on one of the earlier climbs and if they don’t, they work.

I think there’s more likelihood of problems in the GTs. Neither Aru nor Martin are going to be keen on the teams they are leading using a rider slot to bring a strong climber who won’t do dom work.

 

[42x16ss]

Let's not forget that there is a guy named Diego Ulissi that will want to make a good impression in the ardennes classics too. Ulissi and Costa didn't work really well together so I'm curious to see what they will do with Martin in their team. I have a feeling that yet again it will be any man for itself. Let see If the UAE staff can put some sense in their heads cause they have an amazing team in their hands if they work together

I don’t think that there will necessarily be that much conflict at the Ardennes: Martin doesn’t care about Amstel, while he’s clearly the only one with a chance at Flèche, which is just about pure strength. The only race where they might get in each other’s way is LBL. And even at Liege there are ways for Costa and/or Ulissi to ride for themselves while also helping Martin, ie by attacking before Ans. Then again, this being the ex-Lampre, we could easily see Costa and Ulissi hanging around to the end and still not helping. Management need to be very clear that if Costa or Ulissi want their own chance they have to attack on one of the earlier climbs and if they don’t, they work.

I think there’s more likelihood of problems in the GTs. Neither Aru nor Martin are going to be keen on the teams they are leading using a rider slot to bring a strong climber who won’t do dom work.

That can be solved by sending one to the Giro with the intent of winning, while the other does the TDF

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Let's not forget that there is a guy named Diego Ulissi that will want to make a good impression in the ardennes classics too. Ulissi and Costa didn't work really well together so I'm curious to see what they will do with Martin in their team. I have a feeling that yet again it will be any man for itself. Let see If the UAE staff can put some sense in their heads cause they have an amazing team in their hands if they work together

I don’t think that there will necessarily be that much conflict at the Ardennes: Martin doesn’t care about Amstel, while he’s clearly the only one with a chance at Flèche, which is just about pure strength. The only race where they might get in each other’s way is LBL. And even at Liege there are ways for Costa and/or Ulissi to ride for themselves while also helping Martin, ie by attacking before Ans. Then again, this being the ex-Lampre, we could easily see Costa and Ulissi hanging around to the end and still not helping. Management need to be very clear that if Costa or Ulissi want their own chance they have to attack on one of the earlier climbs and if they don’t, they work.

I think there’s more likelihood of problems in the GTs. Neither Aru nor Martin are going to be keen on the teams they are leading using a rider slot to bring a strong climber who won’t do dom work.

That can be solved by sending one to the Giro with the intent of winning, while the other does the TDF

I was talking about Ulissi and Costa. I like both of the, but nobody is going to send either to the Giro to win it.

 

[42x16ss]

Let's not forget that there is a guy named Diego Ulissi that will want to make a good impression in the ardennes classics too. Ulissi and Costa didn't work really well together so I'm curious to see what they will do with Martin in their team. I have a feeling that yet again it will be any man for itself. Let see If the UAE staff can put some sense in their heads cause they have an amazing team in their hands if they work together

I don’t think that there will necessarily be that much conflict at the Ardennes: Martin doesn’t care about Amstel, while he’s clearly the only one with a chance at Flèche, which is just about pure strength. The only race where they might get in each other’s way is LBL. And even at Liege there are ways for Costa and/or Ulissi to ride for themselves while also helping Martin, ie by attacking before Ans. Then again, this being the ex-Lampre, we could easily see Costa and Ulissi hanging around to the end and still not helping. Management need to be very clear that if Costa or Ulissi want their own chance they have to attack on one of the earlier climbs and if they don’t, they work.

I think there’s more likelihood of problems in the GTs. Neither Aru nor Martin are going to be keen on the teams they are leading using a rider slot to bring a strong climber who won’t do dom work.

That can be solved by sending one to the Giro with the intent of winning, while the other does the TDF

I was talking about Ulissi and Costa. I like both of the, but nobody is going to send either to the Giro to win it.

That is a trickier proposition. Again, UAE would probably have to split them up too. Maybe Ulissi stage hunting at the Giro and Costa as super domestique at the TDF. The Ardennes could be another story

 

[Leinster]

I don’t think, with the best will in the world, Dan Martin is going to win the Tour either. So it might make sense to tell Costa “get in the break every day in the mountains. Help Dan if/when his group catches you. If they don’t catch you, start pushing for the stage win.”

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

I don’t think, with the best will in the world, Dan Martin is going to win the Tour either. So it might make sense to tell Costa “get in the break every day in the mountains. Help Dan if/when his group catches you. If they don’t catch you, start pushing for the stage win.”

That might be what happens, but the Tour squad will only have eight riders. Six after Martin and Kristoff. There’s relatively little room for carrying other riders with their own goals in a dual focus team, so it will be interesting to see if Costa makes himself useful for someone else.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

I don’t think, with the best will in the world, Dan Martin is going to win the Tour either. So it might make sense to tell Costa “get in the break every day in the mountains. Help Dan if/when his group catches you. If they don’t catch you, start pushing for the stage win.”

Dan Martin believes he can podium at the Tour and so do I

A podium at the Tour is worth alot to a team...all the publicity...much better than Costa can deliver ....so with all the best will in the world Costa, if he is at the Tour just like the Ardennes, needs to ride for Dan Martin

I dont see why what Costa gets up to is so important when Dan Matin is a genune contender ...and it hasbeen years since Costa has won a stage..>Seems to me the priorites are all wromg...Dan Martin needs to be supported by a rider who is past his best and was never a GT contender ...simples

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

I don’t think, with the best will in the world, Dan Martin is going to win the Tour either. So it might make sense to tell Costa “get in the break every day in the mountains. Help Dan if/when his group catches you. If they don’t catch you, start pushing for the stage win.”

Dan Martin believes he can podium at the Tour and so do I

A podium at the Tour is worth alot to a team...all the publicity...much better than Costa can deliver ....so with all the best will in the world Costa, if he is at the Tour just like the Ardennes, needs to ride for Dan Martin

I dont see why what Costa gets up to is so important when Dan Matin is a genune contender ...and it hasbeen years since Costa has won a stage..>Seems to me the priorites are all wromg...Dan Martin needs to be supported by a rider who is past his best and was never a GT contender ...simples

At the Tour yes, no doubt. In the Ardennes I don't think so...

 

[HelloDolly]

What is the story with Rui Costa ....a World Champion and multiple Tour de France stage winner a Tour de Suisse GC winner ...
Does he keep getting chances at 32 ?? Last win Abu Dhabi 2017
He is hardly good domestique material or if he is I haven't seen it
But then again UAE haven't really been a top team this year

is he goingto stay or has he any offers I wonder

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

What is the story with Rui Costa ....a World Champion and multiple Tour de France stage winner a Tour de Suisse GC winner ...
Does he keep getting chances at 32 ?? Last win Abu Dhabi 2017
He is hardly good domestique material or if he is I haven't seen it
But then again UAE haven't really been a top team this year

is he goingto stay or has he any offers I wonder

He was top 10 at the Worlds

Biggest enigma in the peloton for me. True jack of all trades, master of none in terms of climbnig races

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re: Re:

There's no mystery here. He's had a recurring knee injury that has repeatedly kept him from training long enough to reach good form since early 2015. And that's not going into the lung infection that ruined his 2 attempts at Tour GC.

The previous seasons have been the same, but for the sake of example this has been his 2018:

Restart training in the winter after yet another injury layoff. Start the season, do a few races. Aim to reach form for the classics. Re-injure the knee during Paris-Nice. Abandon and spend weeks without training. Restart training in April.

Finally reach middling form in time for Romandie. Climb with Roglic and Bernal. Finish 5th. Immediately re-injure knee. Sit out for a few more months. Return in August. Reach some semblance of form for the Worlds. Start feeling knee pain immediately after.

In short, same story as the last previous 3 and a half seasons.

What is the story with Rui Costa ....a World Champion and multiple Tour de France stage winner a Tour de Suisse GC winner ...
Does he keep getting chances at 32 ?? Last win Abu Dhabi 2017
He is hardly good domestique material or if he is I haven't seen it
But then again UAE haven't really been a top team this year

is he goingto stay or has he any offers I wonder

He was top 10 at the Worlds

Biggest enigma in the peloton for me. True jack of all trades, master of none in terms of climbnig races

I don't see him as an enigma. He's a Camenzind clone, he's great at all things but not really the best at any so rarely wins. Except he's always injured.

 

[carolina]

I read on a portuguese forum he has offers from Katusha, EF-Drapac, Cofidis and Astana. UAE also wants to keep him.