UAE Team Emirates’ Rui Costa is heading into this week’s Tirreno-Adriatico race in confident mood on the back of his Abu Dhabi Tour win.

Tirreno-Adriatico offers a different challenge to the 30-year-old, but it is one Costa is relishing.

”I recently won the Abu Dhabi Tour, beating the top climbers up Jabel Hafeet on stage 3. That was an important achievement, which confirmed my form is very good,” the Portuguese rider said.

“I am looking forward to the Tirreno-Adriatico and will be targeting the GC title and that famous blue jersey.”

Riding alongside Costa will be a strong, seven-man UAE Team Emirates line-up featuring Roberto Ferrari, Sacha Modolo, Vegard Stake Laengen, Marco Marcato, Filippo Ganna, Marko Kump, and Matej Mohoric.

“It will be quite a different race to the Abu Dhabi Tour, especially with the opening team time trial and the final individual time trial,” Costa said.

“In the past I consistently participated in Paris-Nice, this season I decided to try a different race and wanted to challenge myself.”