Caja Rural-Seguros RGA have spent the last 12 days in Benidorm, Spain, preparing for another great year on the road. 2016 will be the team’s seventh season in the professional peloton after its return. During the training camp, which took place from the 14th  to the 25th of this month, riders and staff also had the opportunity to have technical talks, planning meetings and visits from the sponsors, who presented their products and services in the hotel where the team was staying.

The riders of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA will enjoy another season with Fuji Bikes. In a very interesting meeting, the American company talked in details about the two models the team will be using this year: the Fuji Transonic for the rouleurs and the sprinters and the Fuji SL for the climbers. The new 2016 team kit by Alé Cycling was also presented on the stage during the stay.

Representatives from Seguros RGA, who provided the opportunity to mingle with the riders for winners of a competition for its clients from all its branches, Spiuk, Sportlast, Indiba and Podotec had their first contact of the season with the riders from Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.

The best news during the training camp came from Italy in the shape of an invitation to take part in Tirreno-Adriatico (9-15 March). This will be the team’s first participation in the Italian World Tour stage race. Caja Rural-Seguros RGA manager, Juanma Hernández was very pleased with the news: “For us, it’s very important to ride a World Tour race at the level of Tirreno-Adriatico. The organizers RCS Sport had more than 18 applicants requesting to take part in this race, which underlines the importance of their decision for us”.

José Miguel Fernández (Sports director) added: “The evaluation can only be good. We haven’t had any setbacks like in the previous training camps. We have been able to take advantage of every training day to perfection thanks to the good climate, which has accompanied us every day here. There is a great atmosphere around the whole team and the level shown by the riders is very good. The first races of the season are always complicated. Everybody wants to start out well and no victory comes easy. We can’t be obsessed about winning but we are going to ride every race with the highest aspirations”.

Challenge de Mallorca and Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise

The 20 riders from Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, will make their 2016 debut with the team in the coming days in the two competitions which open this year’s calendar for the Professional Continental team: Challenge de Mallorca (28-31 January) and Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise (31 January). These races will also serve as the first time to see the team’s five new signings; Alberto Gallego, Domingos Gonçalves, Jonathan Lastra, Jaime Rosón and Diego Rubio in action. Below are the respective selections.

Challenge de Mallorca: 

David Arroyo, Pello Bilbao, Hugh Carthy, Domingos Gonçalves, José Gonçalves, Ángel Madrazo, Lluis Mas, Antonio Molina, Eduard Prades, Jaime Rosón, Héctor Sáez and Ricardo Vilela.

Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise: 

Javier Aramendia, Carlos Barbero, Miguel Ángel Benito, Fabricio Ferrari, Alberto Gallego, Jonathan Lastra, Sergio Pardilla and Diego Rubio.

“All training camps are similar but they are never unbearable," Arroyo said. "You get together with new people who arrives after a long time of training at home and this helps you find the motivation to change the routine. This in particular has gone very well. The weather has been great and we have been able to train perfectly. We have welcomed many important sponsors of our team. We must thank them all for their time and their investment in Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.

"Regarding the debut in Mallorca, I have to say that I feel much better than I usually do at this time of the year. Although it’s true that sometimes, even though the feelings are good, you don’t go as well as you expect. This week we will see where I really stand. If the feelings are as good as I hope they are or if it’s only a mirage”.

“We have spent these days training very well and fine-tuning the machine," Rubio said. "The meetings with the sponsors have been very interesting. The representatives from Fuji Bikes told us the story of the company and the details about the bike models we will use this season.

"My goal was to return to Spain after my professional debut in Portugal. I wanted a better opportunity and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA was exactly what I was looking for. I have had a good pre-season and I want to start out very well. I’m gaining rhythm little by little and the tests I have done have been good. We will see how I do in the first race. You never know until you get started.”