His form may have waned since Brazil's defeat in the 1998 World Cup final but the 23-year-old from the back streets of Rio de Janeiro told reporters he hoped to be playing for Inter Milan this spring.
The Milan-San Remo is the first Spring Classic of the season, with six more races taking place over March and April in Belgium, France and Netherlands, culminating in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege event on 24 April.