Rui Costa (Movistar)

Crowned by his World Championship victory, Portugal’s Rui Costa showed his attacking flair in style on some of the biggest stages in 2013. His victory in Florence, where he burst off the front of a pursuing group to catch lone leader Joaquim Rodriguez and pass him on the final straight, was merely the icing on the cake as he became the first Portuguese man to win the rainbow jersey on the road.

While he did not compete on the cobbles, Costa enjoyed a steady campaign at the Ardennes Classics before defending his Tour de Suisse title. The Portuguese ace was joined by Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) and Bauke Mollema (Blanco) in attacking late in stage six, and he outsprinted his two rivals to win before ensuring overall victory by winning the final stage’s individual time trial. Costa also excelled at the Tour de France, sacrificing personal ambition to help struggling leader Alejandro Valverde in stage 13, before bouncing back with two stunning stage victories, both courtesy of long attacks into first Gap and then Le Grand Bornan, to leave many predicting a fruitful year in the rainbow jersey in 2014.