Portuguese rider Rui Costa showed a flash of brilliance on Sunday. He rode to an impressive second-place finish in the Tour of Austria’s final stage. This was stage five, a tough 144.2-kilometer ride. It started and ended right in Feldkirch.
Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels, riding for INEOS, snatched the solo victory. He crossed the finish line a full minute and 45 seconds ahead. Costa, representing EF Education-EasyPost, led the chase group. Belgium’s Florian Vermeersch (UAE Emirates) took third, finishing with the same time as Costa.
This strong performance marked a big moment for Costa. It was his best result since winning the national championship earlier in 2024. The second-place stage finish also helped him move up significantly. He climbed 11 spots in the general classification. Ultimately, Costa finished the Tour of Austria in 32nd place overall. He was 31 minutes and 35 seconds behind the winner.
The real prize of the Tour of Austria went to Isaac del Toro. The Mexican rider from UAE Emirates secured the overall title. Del Toro has been on a roll, having also finished second in the Tour of Italy.
Ireland’s Archie Ryan, a teammate of Costa at EF Education-EasyPost, claimed second overall. He trailed Del Toro by just 29 seconds. Poland’s Rafal Majka, also from UAE Emirates, rounded out the podium. Majka finished 47 seconds behind the champion.