The rainbow jersey is both an honour to wear and a burden for each UCI World Champion, and Lampre-Merida's Rui Costa has felt the pressure that comes along with that title.
InCycle caught up with the Portuguese rider at the team's early-season camp in Mallorca. Costa talks about the cold and rainy race in Florence, Italy, where he beat Spaniards Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde to win the rainbow jersey.
He also speaks about the pressures of the jersey and how well his new Lampre-Merida team has supported him so far.
Costa will line up for the Ardennes Classics this week, with his best possibility for a podium placing coming at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He is still looking for his first win in the rainbow jersey after a second place overall at Paris-Nice and five second place stage finishes between Paris-Nice and the Volta ao Algarve.
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