Rui Costa does not regret his contract on bit

Even though Costa signed his contract with Lampre, before becoming World road race Champion in Florence, he does not regret it.

“No, I don’t regret it one bit,” Rui Costa told Marca. “If you’re aiming for the Worlds and win, then maybe you can get a better contract. But if you fall and get injured, who’s going to sign you in a year when Vacansoleil, Euskaltel and Sojasun all disappear? There are dozens of quality riders without a contract for 2014.

“Lampre-Merida gave me the opportunity to be a leader in several races and that made my mind up for me. They believed in me before I became champion and that confirms my choice.”

Costa’s decision to leave Movistar behind was based on his ambitions in the Grand Tours, and his wish to be sole leader of a team.

“I’ve always said that I’m not sure what kind of rider I am. When I was an under-23 rider, it was the same thing: I was up there with the best in one-day races but I also won the overall at the Giro delle Regioni,” Costa said.

“As a professional, it’s clear that there are classics and one-week stages that I can win, I’ve shown that. But you have to be humble and realistic: I’ve never won a three-week race, so I can’t say I’m a favourite for the Tour.

Costa has affirmed and reaffirmed his status as one of cycling’s rising stars. He is an incredibly one-day rider, and it is likely just a matter of time before he wins one of the really big classics. He is also a seasoned stage rider, having already won the Tour de Suisse twice, and has done well in many other medium-length races.

“You have to climb the steps one by one, and in the grand tours, I still have a lot to improve upon. But I’ve only just turned 27 and as the years go by, my endurance is improving. So I still have hope of improving more and then maybe some day I can be in the fight,” Costa ended.