Differences with Eusebio Unzué eliminate Movistar option
Portuguese rider Rui Costa is without a contract for the upcoming season. The Caisse d’Epargne rider will not move over to the Movistar team, with Movistar being the replacement sponsor of the French bank. Costa has not raced since the Tour de France, where he finished 73rd.
At the heart of the problem are differences with Team Manager Eusebio Unzué, according to Portuguese paper Record. The fallout is so severe that Costa has not raced since finishing La Grande Boucle in Paris on July 25.
According to Record, Costa has several other options, including current contacts with RadioShack, Vacansoleil and the new Luxembourg team from the Schleck brothers.
The 24-year-old earned a contract with Caisse d’Epargne after two good seasons with Benfica. He won the Giro delle Regioni in his first year with Benfica, then ended up second in the Tour de l’Avenir in 2008. That same year he was also fifth in the U23 road race at the World Championships.
In his first ProTour year in 2009 he won the 4 Jours de Dunkerque and was 13th overall in the Tour de Suisse. He obtained third place overall in the Vuelta a Chihuahua, after winning stage 3. In 2010, he had three victories – the Trofeo Deia, stage 8 of the Tour de Suisse and the Portuguese time trial championships.