Caja Rural continued their aggressive showing in today's stage of the Vuelta a Espana. This time Peio Bilbao joined the early break and the young Basque got close to the win when he finished fifth in the hard mountain stage.

Caja Rural have come into the Vuelta a Espana hoping to take a stage win and the team has been riding offensively right from the start. Today they got closer than ever in the previous stages when young climber Peio Bilbao finished fifth in the hard mountain stage.

"It was much better than in the previous stages," he said. "Maybe I benefited from the weather change. I had better legs. It is my first Vuelta and I am very exicted and looking forward to the rest.

"I suffered in the stages in Andalucia. I came here with very good form but I could not do for the team what I had wanted to. Now the stages will be more suitable for me and I hope to improve day by day."

Lluis Mas joined his teammate in the early break and the Spaniard managed to score more points for the mountains classification.

"I felt good from start," he said. "The team worked early on to join the break. "We were all very active and in the end I was the lucky one but it cost a lot of energy. I didn't suffer in the bad weather. I am good in the rain and I even felt a bit fresher.

"I am very happy with the Vuelta I am doing. Now I want to keep the jersey at least until the stage to Pamplona which is important for the team as we are on the podium each day."