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Dubai, UAE, July 28, 2018: After a lay off through injury, former World Champion Rui Costa will return to action for UAE Team Emirates as the side head to the United Kingdom for the Prudential Ride London-Surrey Classic. Costa, who last appeared in the Emirati colours at the Tour de Romandie, will be joined by sprint specialist Ben Swift, who will undoubtedly be eyeing a strong performance on home soil.
The duo will be joined by Italians Diego Ulissi, Simone Consonni and Filippo Ganna, plus Norwegian pair Sven Erik Bystrom and Vegard Stake Laengen – the latter of whom was recently crowned Norwegian National Champion.
Commenting ahead of the race, Ben Swift said: “I can't wait to race in London. The race will coincide with my return to racing after some time off and this is a special event for me. I have great memories of all the times I participated on the roads of the English capital. The aim is to be able to have the necessary strength in my legs to compete for a decent result. I've garnered two podiums in this race during my career, with a second and third place; I wouldn't mind filling in that last missing step.”
Rui Costa added: “I'm finally getting back to racing. I'd like to thank the team and medical staff for having provided the utmost care regarding my ongoing knee problem. Now I feel ready to get back into the pack and contribute to the team in this second part of the season. For me the Prudential Ride London-Surrey Classic has become a very important event.”
The biggest event in the UK's cycling calendar, the 183km route from London to Surrey and back is similar to the London 2012 Olympic Games road race course. Kicking off in St James' Park in the heart of London, the riders will head through the west of the capital before heading into Surrey where the landscape turns a lot hillier. With just one official climb – Box Hill – it will be hard for a breakaway to hold on to their lead and we could see a mass sprint finish on The Mall.
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