The professional cycling world will have another pair of brothers riding on the same team. Lampre-Merida has announced the signing of Mario Costa who is expected to be an important domestique for his brother Rui.

Lampre-Merida have doubled the number of Faria Da Costa's on their roster. In addition to Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa, the team’s sports directors will rely on Mario Jorge Faria Da Costa who’s the brother of the former world champion.

Mario Costa was born in Povoa de Varzim (Portugal) on 15 November 1985 and he turned pro in 2008. During his career, he has mainly excelled on flat courses and in time trials, being a valuable support rider for the captains.

Despite the fact that he has always worked for his teammates, he was second in the 2011 Portuguese road race championships.

With the signing of Costa, Lampre-Merida will have another loyal domestique for the captains, most notably Rui Costa who has a special relation to Mario that can be useful in the races. He is expected to provide support in the flat stages.

“It’s such a pride and statisfaction for me to wear in 2015 the colors of Lampre-Merida in 2015," Mario Costa commented. "I will do my best to honor this opportunity, I’ll work hard daily to meet the target that the team will propose to me.

"I thank the team, the sponsors and the team manager Copeland for this opportunity: it will be exciting to fight in support of my brother Rui in his attempts to achieve top results."