Portuguese runner Rui Costa, 36, born in Aguçadoura (Póvoa de Varzim), this Wednesday broke a fast of two and a half years without victories, by winning the Calvià Cup, which was held on this day in Mallorca (Spain), 150.1 km, departure and arrival Palmanova, Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain).
National long-distance champion in 2020 and winner of three stages in the Tour de France, world long-distance champion 2013, in his debut with the new team, Intermarche-Cirque Wante (UAE left) and in the 2023 season, he imposed himself on a cold rainy day and many falls in the mountains of the Balearic Islands.
Rui Costa finished the first round of the Mallorca Challenge in 3 hours, 57 minutes and 30 seconds, defeating Belgium’s Louis Vervaijk (Soudal-Quick Step), who finished second, and Ireland’s Ben Healy (Education First-Easy Posty), the trio that stood out From the peloton – where the Frenchman Julien Alaphilippe, who was in ninth place – arrived already at the entrance to the city.
The Trofeo Calvià was the first race of the 32nd edition of the ‘Challenge Mallorca’, which on Thursday will feature the Trofeo Ses Salines, a 158.6km race between Ses Salines and Port D’Alcudia.
“The drive for this year has been great for me, and winning the first race in the year I’m racing is very important,” Rui Costa told reporters, at Palmanova, quoted by esciclismo.com.
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