Alghero: Rui Costa, Portuguese rider and winner of this year’s Abu Dhabi Tour, will lead a seven-man strong UAE Team Emirates line-up in the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia, which starts in Sardinia on Friday and ends in Milan on May 28. The winner after 21 stages and 3,572-km is awarded the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey) for their efforts.
Costa, a three-time Tour de France stage winner, will seek stage wins for UAE Team Emirates on his Giro d’Italia debut.
Sprinter and teammate Sacha Modolo will also be looking for stage wins.
“This will be my first participation at the Giro,” said Costa. “I’m excited, motivated and looking forward to a competitive debut in the 100th edition of this race. I believe that there are some stages with courses that are suited to my strengths. I’ve recently undergone altitude training on Mount Etna in preparation for the Giro. Of course, a victory during my debut in this special edition of the race would be incredible and I will give it everything I have to win some stages this year.”
The Giro d’Italia (also known as Corsa Rosa) has been held annually since its first edition in 1909. It is one of three, three-week, Grand Tours that include the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana, and consists of 21 daylong stages over 23 days, including two rest days.
The route changes every year but the format remains the same with at least two time trials, and a mountain passage through the Alps and Dolomites.
The team’s line-up includes two riders who have clinched stage wins at the Giro in previous years: Sacha Modolo, who obtained two stage victories in 2015, and Jan Polanc, winner of the Abetone stage in 2015.
Confirming the line-up, UAE Team Emirates’ sporting director Orlando Maini said: “We are proud to be the first team representing the UAE at the Giro. We have tried to strike a balance in selecting the sprinters and climbers for the team. Rui is a top rider and does well in all of the races he takes part in. We’ve had a good run up to the Giro with a strong squad and the preparation has gone well. The average age of team members is around 26 with young riders such as Ravasi, Petilli, Conti and Mohoric. We want to get the best performance possible and try to win some stages, if not the race.”
Italian sprinter Modolo said: “For an Italian rider, the Giro d’Italia is the dream. I’m fortunate to have previously won two stages at the Giro and I can’t wait to be able to race there again and hopefully relive the incredible rush I felt when winning. I am hoping to be the leader of my nation’s race and be able to don the Pink Jersey. We have a strong line-up and I am relying on a team effort to put me in a great position for the sprints”.
Riding alongside Costa from UAE Team Emirates will be: Sacha Modolo, Marco Marcato, Matej Mohoric, Valerio Conti, Roberto Ferrari, Simone Petilli, Jan Polanc and Edward Ravasi.
