Caja Rural-Seguros RGA are currently on a training camp in Talavera de la Reina ahead of a key part if the Spanish team’s season: Clasica San Sebastian, Vuelta a Burgos and Vuelta a Espana. David Arroyo, the team’s GC leader in the last two races, spoke to the team’s website about this key part of the year.

“I feel good, I’m eager to go and I’m focusing on the team’s and my own personal objective of the season, which is the Vuelta. My training is going well, I’m working hard and I’m really looking forward to it.”

“I have three objectives coming up: The Clásica de San Sebastián, the Vuelta a Burgos and the Vuelta a España. Each race is important and more so with races as important as San Sebastián and Burgos before the Vuelta. I would like to arrive to the Vuelta departure in good shape so I can fight for a good position in the general classification and also have options to win a stage. But we know it will be complicated, although we will certainly try, as we always do.”

He says that his squad is high on confidence and they will line up for their home Grand Tour at the end of August with a team who will be very strong and able to compete on various levels.

“We’re going to have a great line-up. I already said at the beginning of the year that we grow with each season, due to the new team members as well as to the evolution of those of us already here, especially the younger ones. I think we’re going to have a very well balanced team in every area, in large teams, in small teams, with long escapes, with short escapes… those triumphs prove it and give us confidence. We have a very combative team in a tour with highly varied finales and we’re going to try to win in every stage.”

Wins in all three races would be welcome, but a win in the Vuelta a Espana is key, as the team hasn’t won a stage in that race since 2012. But this year, they have won races in Spain and further afield, in France, America and Turkey and they turn to the home races with confidence.