Rui Costa sprints to victory from breakaway trio on stage 15 of Vuelta a España
Former world champion takes 31st career win in Lekunberri


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) sprinted to victory from a three-man group of escapees on stage 15 of the Vuelta a España on Sunday afternoon.
The former world champion kicked past Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) to the line in Lekunberri, the trio being the remnants of the day's 15-man breakaway.
The win marked the 36-year-old’s first at WorldTour level in five and a half years, his last coming at the Abu Dhabi Tour in 2017.
"I'm so happy," Costa said afterwards. "A victory in the Vuelta a España for me is very, very important.
"I did a lot of preparation to be in good shape for the Tour [de France], but it turned out to be a bit sad for us. I wasn't supposed to do the Vuelta, but after finishing the Tour and San Sebastián, my legs were good and I told the team to let me go to the Vuelta a España to try and win a stage."
On Sunday, Costa broke out of a mammoth-sized front group with Buitrago inside the final 15km of the 158.5km stage. The duo were then tagged by Kämna on the final climb, who passed them before crashing on the ensuing descent.
The German, who won stage nine last weekend, then remounted, caught up and launched his sprint to the line first. Having waited patiently, Costa pipped him in the closing metres.
"After so much fighting, it's not easy," the stage winner said. "It takes a lot of dedication, effort and work to get here that people don't see. This is really satisfying for me."
Race leader Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) crossed the line in 19th place with the main peloton and will take an advantage of one minute and 37 seconds into Monday's second rest day.
Billed as a day for the breakaway, it took around 80 kilometres before a front group formed on the road out of Pamplona. The stage offered a hilly but unchallenging parcours, with a category-three climb followed by a pair of category twos.
A 15-man group formed after the hectic start, with polka dot jersey wearer Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) present once again up the road. The breakaway's advantage swung out to over three and a half minutes over the penultimate climb, with little chase behind.
Back in the peloton, Geraint Thomas dropped behind the bunch, having hit the tarmac in a crash. He ploughed on to finish 145th with a torn jersey and streaks of energy gel down his backside, the wrappers having burst in his jersey pocket.
As the stage entered its finale, the breakaway began to whittle down. Buitrago, Kämna and Costa went off in pursuit of victory, with the honours ultimately falling to the latter. Evenepoel crossed the line fourth, two seconds behind.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.
He's also fluent in French and Spanish and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
-
-
Snapped cranks, motorbikes and decade-old handlebars - breaking sprinting's oldest world record
Jeffrey Hoogland is going after the longest-standing record in track cycling
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Best fenders - mudguards - for gravel bikes 2023: top models we recommend
Want to extend the life of your components and ride in greater comfort? We’ve rounded up the best fenders / mudguards to protect both you and your gravel bike
By Stefan Abram Published
-
Michel Hessmann anti doping positive a ‘black day’ for Jumbo-Visma says boss
22-year-old German rider suspended by Dutch team in August after positive test revealed presence of diuretics
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How much did Sepp Kuss and Jumbo-Visma win at the Vuelta a España 2023?
Turns out locking out the podium for much of the race gets you quite a few Euros
By Adam Becket Published
-
Five things we learned from the Vuelta a España 2023: Sepp Kuss is the real deal and Ineos still lacking
Here's what we learned from the final Grand Tour of the 2023 season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Kaden Groves wins final stage of Vuelta a España as Sepp Kuss confirms victory
Sepp Kuss completes his victory in the Vuelta a España around the streets of Madrid
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Sepp Kuss set to win historic Vuelta a España as Wout Poels claims stage 20
American poised for an unexpected but worthy Grand Tour victory in Madrid
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Remco Evenepoel powers to solo breakaway victory on stage 18 of Vuelta a España
Evenepoel seizes third victory of 2023 Vuelta at La Cruz de Linares as Sepp Kuss stays top of general classification
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Analysis: What is going on with Jumbo-Visma and Sepp Kuss at the Vuelta a España?
The man in the red jersey was attacked for the second day running by his teammates, for seemingly little gain
By Adam Becket Published
-
Jumbo-Visma tightens grip on Vuelta a España as Primož Roglič leads stage 17 podium blitz atop the Angliru
Sepp Kuss keeps the red jersey by eight seconds over Jonas Vingegaard going into the final four stages
By Tom Davidson Published