Pello Bilbao was very disappointed when some health issues had left him in such a poor state of form that he agreed with his Caja Rural team to miss one of his objectives of the year, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco. Today the decision to stay away from the Basque stage race paid off as it allowed him to prepare carefully for the Klasika Primavera where he took his first professional victory.

In the off-season, Pello Bilbao faced a possible premature end to his professional career when his Euskaltel team folded. The young Basque was one of several talented riders who found themselves without a team on a market that was loaded with unemployed riders searching for teams.

Caja Rural threw him a lifeline and today he paid them back in the most beautiful way. The young Basque took his first professional win in the Klasika Primavera, the one-day race that traditionally ends the Basque cycling week that is dominated by the WorldTour race the Vuelta al Pais Vasco.

Bilbao had agreed with his team to skip that race after he had been plagued by health issues but he has certainly not skipped his training sessions. Today's race marked his return to form as he emerged as the strongest in a duel against his former Euskaltel teammate Gorka Izagirre (Movistar).

Izagirre and Bilbao escaped with David Belda in the finale and with both major teams represented in the move, they managed to stay away. They dropped Belda in the finale and Bilbao managed to respond to Izagirre's final attack before beating him in the sprint.

"I am so happy but I don't even know how to express it," he said. "It was amazing after all these weeks that have not been the best. It was a blow to miss the Vuelta al Pais Basco but now the circumstances allowed me to win. The team has been great and we've won, you can not ask for more.

"Movistar carried the weight of the race from the beginning. We have tried to save our energy as much as possible. At the end we had numbers and we started to attack, first with Marcos [Garcia], then with Omar [Fraile]. When we crested the summit of the second climb, Intxautsi opened a gap and I went with Belda and Gorka. Movistar allowed the gap to grow and we stayed away.

"We were both strong and I responded to Gorka's attack one kilometre from the finish on a steep climb. I expected it because I had the feeling that he was afraid of a sprint. I managed to hold his wheel and he took the responsibility to launch the sprint. I knew that my chance was to wait and pass him at the last moment. I stayed cool and passed him at the right time.

"It's an important win as we came wih Movistar from the Basque Country and it was not easy. The circumstances played in our favour and we were able to capitalize from them.

"Txurruka told me that the first win is the hardest. It took me four years as a professional but I have not had many chances. Thanks to the confidence of the entire team, staff, directors, partners, assistants, everyone who believed that I could win. I'm grateful to Caja Rural for eveything they have given to me.

"If I had done the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, I would probably not have won but I was so excited to that race. I didn't feel good and had to withdraw. However, it has certainly given me the option to prepare better for today with some training so in the end everything went well.

"It took four years as a professional and I have not been winning so far. I hoped for a good day and I knew the course but it's never easy. This victory gives me peace and confidence. I have big ambitions and the season is long, we have a good racing calendar. If we continue to work so well, we will soon win more. We have a very complete team that knows how to do things right.

"Now I go to Turkey and Azerbaijan to see if I have more luck."

"This is a reward for the work we did in the Basque Country," manager Eugenio Goikoetxea said. "We did not start too well, but ultimately with the win in the sprints compeition, long breaks and the good performances at the end made us happy. To win in Amorebieta is the icing on the cake.

"Bilbao will gain confidence from this and make him forget a little about missing the Vuelta al Pais Vasc. It was an important race for him and it was a shame to miss it but this result will make him forget about it. To win here with his family and friends around him is a great achievement."