For the first time since joining the team, Rui Costa will wear a usual Lampre-Merida jersey in Sunday's final big classic, Il Lombardia. The Portuguese leads a strong Lampre-Merida team that can count on climbers Przemyslaw Niemiec, Jan Polanc, Kristijan Durasek, Valerio Conti and Rafael Valls.

Rui Costa fought hard to defend his Worlds title in Ponferrada but the mission failed. Hence, the Portuguese will wear his usual Lampre-Merida jersey in the 2015 season.

Costa will do his first race in his new colours on Sunday when he leads Lampre-Merida in Il Lombardia. He will be joined by Przemyslaw Niemiec, Jan Polanc, Valerio Conti, Kristijan Durasek, Rafael Valls, Matteo Bono and Nelson Oliveira in the final monument which takes place on a completely revamped course from Como to Bergamo.

"The final part of the course will be open to more outcomes than in the past editions of Il Lombardia," sport director Orlando Maini explained. "The altitude difference of the final part of the course is notable, but there will also be room for recovery. Considering these characteristics, I think that an attack of a group of riders could decide the race: it will be important for us to be in the front with as many riders as possible.

"I think that our cyclists have the necessary skills to approach the race in the proper way, so we'll start from Como with ambitions."

On Friday, Costa, Niemiec, Oliveira, Conti and Bono will do a recon of the final 80km of the course.