Rui Costa storms to glory on opening stage of Saudi Tour 2020

A chaotic day of racing in crosswinds closed out in a full-gas finish after a sharp climb

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rui Costa stormed back to winning ways on the opening stage of the Saudi Tour after an unpredictable finish.

The former world champion kept out of trouble as crosswinds split the peloton throughout the day, before he launched his final attack in pursuit of the breakaway on the sharp final climb inside 1km.

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.