World Champion Rui Costa will target a top ten finish at the Tour de France this year as par of his new role as team leader at Lampre-Merida. He joined the squad on a one-year deal from Movistar.

He will lead Lampre at the Tour, a race where the squad have underperformed in the last few years whereas Costa has achieved success, such as two stage wins in 2013. He has stage racing ability, as shown by his back-to-back overall wins in the Tour de Suisse in 2012 and 2013 but he knows a three-week race is a different matter.

“One day, I have to assume the role of leader and test my limits in a three-week race,” Rui Costa told Eurosport Portugal of the Tour. “The objective is to be in the top 10, see how my body works and see if I’m cut out for a race of 21 days like the Tour.”

Last year he was forced to sacrifice his overall ambitions by waiting on Alejandro Valverde when the Spaniard suffered a mechanical problem on stage 13 and both men lost almost ten minutes. He finished 27th overall.

As all World Champions do, Costa wants to get an early season victory to ease the pressure around him but he has pointed out that he will target the Ardennes Classics and in particular, Liège-Bastogne-Liège. 

“I like to be good in every race. Of course, Paris-Nice and the Ardennes classics are no exception, and above all, Liège is a classic I’ve always dreamt about,” Costa said. “I always set off without pressure, with the intention of giving my best. If I can get on the podium, so much the better, but if I don’t win, the important thing is to have a clear conscience and know that you’ve done all you can.”

Costa will begin hi season at the Dubai Tour and his new teammate and countryman Nelson Oliveira will ride with him on almost all of his races: “We’re still defining the group that will be with me at every race, but I have confirmation that Nelson will be with me,” the 27 year old said.