Dubai: Rui Costa says his UAE Team Emirates side are at their best heading into this week’s bid to defend his Abu Dhabi Tour title from Wednesday to Sunday.
The 31-year-old Portuguese all-rounder picked up the side’s first and only UCI World Tour win at this event in the team’s inaugural year last February.
However, with the side having strengthened over the winter by bringing in sprint specialist Alexander Kristoff from Katusha, and climber Fabio Aru from Astana, Costa said they were now even more of a force to be reckoned with.
“The team is stronger this year with the additions of Kristoff and Aru,” he told Gulf News on the sidelines of the team’s visit to the Emirates Headquarters in Dubai on Monday.
Kristoff is the current European Champion and Aru won the Vuelta Espana in 2015.
“I think we have the best team in this moment for that race and it becomes easier to ride with these champions coming together.
“I’m really happy that I can ride this race again,” he added. “I’m in good condition, and it may be difficult because there is an added time trial this year which could change things a little bit,” he said in reference to the development, which nullifies the advantage for climbers. “But I am ready, training has gone very well during the winter and the first part of the season has been good, so I’m confident.”
UAE Team Emirates come into their Abu Dhabi defence fresh off their final stage win in Oman on Sunday, which was their first stage win of the year, and Costa personally picked up a second-place finish in stage three, to finish 10th overall in the general classification.
“It’s really important to do well in this kind of race,” he said of Abu Dhabi, “Because our sponsors are from here and we hope to give them great results to make them happy so they continue to stay with us and the team.”
