Costa guardedly optimistic about Ardennes Classics options
World Champion's form is slowly improving
World Champion 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Rui Costa (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lampre-Merida) believes that he can be a factor in the upcoming Ardennes Classics, with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Amstel Gold Race restoring his confidence following an uneven performance in the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vuelta al País Vasco.
Ninth 🍃in Liège-Bastogne-Liège last year - his best Ardennes result to date - and 32nd last year at La Fl&egrav🔜e;che Wallonne 2013, Costa refused to be drawn on which of the two hilly Classics left to race suited him better.
"We'll see when the racing starts," he told Cyclingnews, "[Race winner Philippe] Gilbert ༒(BMC) was very fast and very strong in Amstel Gold, so was [Alejandro] Valverde [Movistar]."
Either way, he points out, his own fo🐻rm is more solid than it had appeared in his last race outing, the Vuelta al País Vasco, where he finished 51st, more than half an hour down on winner Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo).
"I'v𝄹e worked 🌺hard to be good in these Classics, in País Vasco I was not as good as I’d hoped, but at least on Sunday I was in relatively good shape."
At Amstel Goldౠ, Costa🍌 crossed the line in 17th place, just 12 seconds down on Gilbert.
The reigning World Champion has yet to win a race in 2014, but he has come close on several occasions, with his best result to date a second place in Paris-Nice. The last rider to win a Flèche Wallonne with the rainbow jersey on his back was 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Cadel Evans — currently racing in the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro di Trentino — back in 2010.
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Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The Independent, The Guardian, ProCycling, The Express and Reuters.