Costa’s Tactical Maneuvers Lead to Fourth Grand Tour Win
Rui Costa, riding for Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, displayed strong form and tactical prowess as he emerged victorious in stage 15 of La Vuelta 23. The 36-year-old Portuguese veteran successfully made the break of the day after a fierce battle with Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step.
Costa, along with Santiago Buitrago of Bahrain Victorious, surged ahead on the final ascent, with Lennard Kämna of Bora-Hansgrohe joining them. Kämna nearly claimed the win, but Costa’s patience paid off as he seized his fourth Grand Tour victory, a decade after his last success in the Tour de France.
Sepp Kuss of Jumbo-Visma, wearing La Roja, enters the second rest day as the race leader. However, challenging mountain stages lie ahead in the final week before the finale in Madrid.
The stage, taking place in Navarra, proved to be a hilly and treacherous one, offering riders in the breakaway an excellent opportunity. Evenepoel, Marc Soler, and Jonas Vingegaard were among the active riders in a battle that drew 130 motivated participants.
The breakaway formed on the downhill, with a group that included Evenepoel, Buitrago, Elissonde, Molard, Denz, Kämna, Janssens, Kron, Caicedo, Bouchard, Vendrame, Costa, Rubio, Hamilton, and Rodriguez. Teams such as Jumbo-Visma and Alpecin-Deceuninck attempted to control the gap, ensuring it did not exceed three minutes.
The decisive moment came on the first ascent up the Puerto de Zuarrarrate, where Evenepoel led the way with Buitrago, Rubio, Kämna, Costa, Kron, Rodriguez, Hamilton, and Janssens. Meanwhile, the peloton trailed by 3’30”.
In a thrilling final, Janssens secured the intermediate sprint, ensuring he picked up valuable points. However, Buitrago and Costa quickly caught up with Evenepoel and left him behind. Evenepoel tirelessly chased alongside Kämna, who bridged the gap solo just before the summit.
The trio battled it out on the downhill to Lekunberri, with Kämna briefly opening a gap of 4km before crashing one kilometer later. As Costa and Buitrago hesitated, Kämna recovered and launched a sprint in the final kilometer. However, Costa passed him right at the finish line, securing a hard-fought victory.
