Rui Costa returns to racing at Brabantse Pijl after training crash with truck

Image 1 of 5

Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) will return to racing Wednesday at De Brabantse Pijl, just weeks after colliding with a truck while training in Portugal near Braga.

Costa was briefly hospitalised after the crash but avoided serious injury in the March 27 incident and was able to return home the same day and resume his training for the upcoming Ardennes Classics.

“It will be my first participation in the Brabantse Pijl, and since I like to test myself in new competitions, I am very happy to have the chance to debut in this race,” he said.

Costa raced last a Tirreno-Adriatico on March 19 and was at home preparing for the upcoming Ardennes races when the collision occurred. Despite the interruption in training, he said he's in good form going forward.

"The work was good, even if it was marked by the training incident at the end of March," he said. "I won’t race with particular pressure, but I have the will to fully test what my condition is and to get in tune with the atmosphere and rhythm for the Ardennes Classics."

Costa will be joined in the race by Tom Bohli, Roberto Ferrari, Ivo Oliveira, Rui Oliveira and Simone Petilli

The one-day Brabanste Pijl covers 197km of Belgian countryside from Leuven to Overijse and includes 31 bergs. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) won the race last year. 

UAE Team Emirates for Brabantse Pijl: Tom Bohli, Rui Costa, Roberto Ferrari, Ivo Oliveira, Rui Oliveira, Simone Petilli