Today Caja Rural ended their spring season with a great weekend. In the Tour des Fjords, Amets Txurruka was 5th in the general classification, Ángel Madrazo was 11th, Txurruka won the King of the Mountains jersey and the team takes home the teams general classification award. In Boucle de L’Aulne, Fabricio Ferrari was present in the day’s escape and David Arroyo finished in 16th place. Héctor Sáez competed as a professional for the first time this weekend and managed to finish in 21st place.

With these results, Caja Rural made it onto the podium for the 59th time this season and obtained its 50th Top 10 result - good numbers to go with the seven triumphs achieved so far.

Juanma Hernández, Manager of the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA team, analyses the weekend and the start of the season:

“The weekend was a positive one, we were in the front and fighting in both races. Héctor Sáez also made his debut, he is a young rider, he trained in the amateur squad and this type of race is very well-suited to him. To debut in races such as Plumelec and L’Aulne and place 21st is proof that he is a valuable rider and that we did well in transferring him to the professional team.

"The team has taken a step forward with regards to other years and this can be seen in every race such as in Fjords. With teams like the ones we were competing against, it is a big deal to win the teams general classification. The young ones are maturing and improving, the veterans are doing everything right and the team is working very well as a whole.

"There has been a big jump in terms of quality and of confidence, and as a result we are making it onto the podium and making a play for victory at the end of every race. We have a line-up that is never far from the Top 10.

"We are truly savouring this moment after our tough start to the year. We, of course, don’t forget those that are still unable to be with us, like Pardilla, Lasca and Aramendía who looks like he’ll be returning soon, but it’s been an accident-filled start to the year, scary even, with falls and injuries suffered by Aramendía, Pardilla, Lasca, Barbero, Grijalba, Txurruka, Bilbao…

"We’ve been able to turn all that around and now we have the confidence to make it into the escapes and to fight for victory. Now the team members believe in themselves, they see that they can be at the front and that confidence is what allows them to take the leap. The mind changes everything and that’s why we are now achieving such great results."