Three days after he won the world road race championship, Rui Costa has confirmed that he will take part in this year’s Tour of Beijing, thus bringing the rainbow jersey to the Chinese WorldTour event.
The Portuguese rider competed in the event in 2012, finishing ninth overall, and will draw on that experience and knowledge this year to aim higher. Like any world champion, he will be keen to clock up his first victory in the characteristic jersey, and the Tour of Beijing will give him several opportunities to chase success.
“It’s a race that I know and like. I got within the best ten overall last year and I hope to profit from my good form at this time of the year,” he said, thinking forward to an event which begins in just nine days’ time.
“It will be the first stage race where I will get to wear my rainbow jersey and that makes it even more important for me.”
Costa won the world title with some great tactical riding on Sunday, going clear in a move with Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde of Spain, plus the Italian Vincenzo Nibali. Rodriguez was clear and heading for what looked like a strong solo victory, but Costa was able to jump clear of the other two, bridge across and then blast past his rival in the sprint.
He spoke at length about his success in this video interview, and clearly has the form to chase another win before the end of the year.
The 26 year old is one of the most promising riders in the sport, having won two editions of the Tour de Suisse, three Tour de France stages, the Grand Prix de Montreal and the Four Days of Dunkirk.
His Movistar team is sending a strong lineup, with triple Italian road race champion Giovanni Visconti and double Spanish champ Jose Ivan Gutierrez amongst those joining him. The Spanish champion Jesus Herrada, Giro d’Italia stage winner Beñat Intxausti and Costa Rican Andrey Amador are tipped to also be on the squad, and should ride well on the climbs in the race, including the summit finish of Mentougou Miaofeng mountain.
Also thought likely to take part on the team are British national time trial champion Alex Dowsett plus the sprinter Enrique Sanz.
The race takes place from October 11th to 15th and is the final WorldTour event of the season. Movistar director sportif José Luis Jaimerena has high aspirations for the race. “This year the Movistar Team lines up a very powerful squad in Beijing to close the World Tour season in the same brilliant way we have performed the entire season. The race, differently from previous editions, has a very hard mountain stage that will probably decide the final winner. Movistar Team will be there to fight for it.”
Tour of Beijing 2013 (WorldTour):
Stage One, October 11th: Shunyi to Huairou Studio City, 190.5km
Stage Two, October 12th: Huairou Studio City to Yanqing, 201.5km
Stage Three, October 13th: Yanqing to Qiandiajian, 176km
Stage Four, October 14th: Yanqing to Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain, 150.5km
Stage Five, October 15th: Tian an men Square to Bird’s Nest Piazza, 117km