The Caja Rural-Seguros RGA rider from Cantabria Ángel Madrazo has obtained his first professional triumph in the Clásica de Ordizia. Madrazo after already taking second place in this race years ago.

Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, who won the team classification, put on a great performance from the start, with Miguel Ángel Benito present in the first escape, Fabricio Ferrari then tried his luck before the team got numeric superiority with Madrazo and Amets Txurruka up against Ion Izaguirre from the Movistar team.

Madrazo’s triumph is the 14th win for the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA this year: Carlos Barbero (5), Pello Bilbao (3), Omar Fraile (2), Amets Txurruka (2), Lluis Mas (1) and Ángel Madrazo (1).

Ángel Madrazo summed up the race:

“We managed to get a teammate in the escape and that allowed us to take it easy and to make Movistar and the other teams work. Then Ferrari tried again. Then I tried my luck from afar, that’s where Izaguirre and Txurruka caught up to me, we had the superiority and I trusted my speed. It turned out perfectly and we managed to earn another triumph for the team that worked really well from beginning to end, and we did it. On this occasion, it was my turn to win, but the important thing is for the team to keep on obtaining victories”.

The Cantabrian rider dedicated his win to his wife and son:

“I would like to dedicate this to two people in particular, my wife and my son Lucas, who was born just recently, as they are my greatest support and I’d like to dedicate it all to them. They are the ones who are with me, day in, day out, in good times and in bad. I’m on cloud nine, I almost can’t believe it. I have been in the professional league for several years without any wins, it felt like it would never happen. As soon as I crossed the finish-line, I felt immense relief, I feel as though I weigh 20 kilos instead of 60”.

Eugenio Goikoetxea, the team director, expressed his satisfaction:

“The team arrived after not having competed for a while, preparing this second phase of the season, we weren’t sure how we’d be, we knew that the boys worked well but we then had to prove that on the road. Everything went perfectly with Ángel and also finishing third with Amets. These triumphs change a rider, we hope that it’s the first of many more to come for Ángel.

"We knew that it would be a case of fighting it out with Movistar, we paid very close attention and had someone in the escapes at all times and, in the end, we were able to win. Last year it was a similar situation, only reversed, they gave it their all in the final 20 kilometres and this year was similar, they were three similar riders who knew the finale well and anything could have happened.

"This is a push forward for us and it gives us hope for the next races, but we have to keep our feet on the ground, we have to know who and what we are. We have to enjoy the moment and keep on working”.