Pello Bilbao opened the account for Caja Rural in the first stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León. It was his second victory as a professional after he won the 2014 Klasika Primavera Amorebieta. Second win for the Basque cyclist professional. The win completed an exceptional performance by Caja Rural-Seguros RGA that also allowed Bilbao to take the leader's jersey and the lead in the competition for Spanish riders and the combination classification, Jose Goncalves to take the lead in the mountains classification, Carlos Barbero to take the lad in the competition for best Castilla y Leon rider and the team to take the lead in the teams classification.

"The truth is that I had thought about doing the sprint, but I saw that the group lost some speed and I tried from afar," Bilbao said. "I started with 250m to go. No one responded and I was able to pull away. I managed to hold off the peloton. They needed the photo finish to see who had won and I didn't know when I crossed the line. I didn't believe it until they had told me 6 or 7 times.

"The truth is that it is an important victory. Despite all our bad luck, we have been close to the win on several occasions. We went to Pais Vasco to do a good race and to fight but we had no luck. We feel that we have been strong enough to win and wanted to be able to dedicate a victory to Sergio Pardilla [who suffered a bad injury in Pais Vasco.

"We will take it day by day and see if we can defend the jersey in the second stage. Movistar are going to try something and they have a good team here. We are pleased with this beginning, it's no wonder, but we still want more.

"It has been a hard start to the season. In the end, we had lost a bit of confidence because our hard work did not pay off. Our morale was low. This win will give a boost to get the next victory.

"For me, it is important to get trust and to prove that I can win in new situations, in bunch kicks. It gives me confidence to try again and also gives moral to the team. It is definitely important.

"I want to dedicate it to the whole team. We have had a difficult start, mainly those who are still suffering from injuries and crashes, and especially Sergio Pardilla whom I hope will enjoy this victory."

Team principal Eugenio Goikoetxea was pleased: "The team worked well and were attentive. When the peloton split in the wind, most of them were there. Pello Bilbao did a lot of workand has taken his chance. Barbero was also able to win. The team always does a good job and always tries, but it rarely goes like today. Now we will enjoy the win while trying to recover for the next stage. We will see how it goes in the GC. It will be difficult, but it is better to be in the lead. A team like ours is not required to win but it always gives morale after many crashes and much bad luck. That's how the world of cycling is. You have to go through many bad days to have one good but this year it was a bit exaggerated. Now we hope it will change so that we can forget about the crashes and illness. The time after Pais Vasco in April and May has often been good for us and we will see if we can continue this streak and do a good race."

Manager Juanma Hernández showed his satisfaction: "It was time to get good news. Very year it gets harder to win. The WorldTour are becoming stronger and want to win more races. Furthermore, we share calendar with Movistar which is the number 1 in the world and since they wins a lot of races, it is complicated for us. Winning is always a joy but after the difficulties and problems we have had this year, it is an even bigger joy. The team already showed that they were good in the Basque Country. We have been close several times and finally it paid off. Pello showed that he is fit and got the reward for his work. For Caja Rural and Seguros RGA, Castilla y Leon is an important market sp this win is important for our sponsors. Now we have to stay focused and avoid more bad luck. Then the good results will come."