The Portuguese cyclist Rui Costa won the Japan Cup this Sunday, closing with a flourish a season in which he once again achieved great results with the colors of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty.
Rui Costa crossed the finish line, at the end of the 133.9 kilometers covered on the Utsunomiya circuit, ahead of the German Felix Engelhardt (Jayco AlUla), who was second with the same 03:28.22 hours as the winner. Frenchman Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) was third, two seconds behind.
“Winning the Japan Cup is special for me. In January I won my first race of the season in Mallorca. [Trofeo Calvià]. Nine months later, I won my last race of the season in Japan. It is also the twentieth victory for my team in 2023. I am happy and proud,” declared the 2013 long distance world champion.
Poveiro, 37 years old, returned this year to the highest level of the international peloton, adding five victories: in addition to the Calvià Trophy and the Japan Cup, he won a stage in the Vuelta a España and the overall victory in the Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana, where He also won a stage.
Saying goodbye to Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, with whom he did not reach an agreement to renew despite the successes of 2023, Rui Costa is expected to announce his next team in the coming days.
Source: TSF
