Lluis Mas, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, won the final stage of the Tour of Turkey. The Ses Salines rider surprised the peloton with an attack just one kilometre from the finish-line and was able to win. This is his first win as a professional and the fourth for the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA team in 2015. The team also wins the team general classification and Lluis Mas takes home the Special Sprints triumph.

Since Pello Bilbao’s win at Castilla y León on the 17th of April, the team has been victorious in three other races in 15 days: Omar Fraile in the Giro dell’Apennino, Pello Bilbao in the 6th stage of the Tour of Turkey and Lluis Mas in Turkey also.

As an interesting side note, these three triumphs that came after the Castilla y León win, came directly after three second places: David Arroyo finished 2nd in Trentino and Fraile won the next day, Carlos Barbero was second in Turkey and the next day Pello Bilbao won, and following Amets Txurruka’s second place in Asturias, Lluis Mas won the next day.

All four victories were achieved by young riders: Pello Bilbao 1990, Omar Fraile 1990 and Lluis Mas 1989.

Lluis Mas, winner of the final stage of the Tour of Turkey, was clearly moved following his victory: “I feel immensely happy, this is the reward for my hard work and what I’ve been searching for for a very long time.

"The truth is that I’ve spent years trying to win with long escapes and, in the end, it happens with a short one. I’ve always tried from afar, but lately it is very difficult to get in the escapes.

"We were preparing the finale for Carlos Barbero, on the first slope I saw that there may be a gap and Carlos yelled at me from behind not to stop and we were able to make it to the finish line.  

"My first job to work for Barbero, our sprinter. We knew that he could win today. He was 2nd the other day (ed. at Pamukkale in stage 5). But I was first around the last corner and  my teammate said, ‘Don’t stop, don’t stop…!’ so I didn’t.

"I feel fantastic. Today, I was thinking of my son, Lluis. I became a father in September, and this is the best present for him. It’s my first victory in a pro race. I won a race in Portugal 3 years ago, but this is my first, most important victory. I’m very happy. All the week, I worked every day to get into breakaways, and to win the Beauties of Turkey sprints competition, but this stage win is the best.

"I thought it was not a clear final for the sprinters. Their teams couldn’t work easily. In the last few kilometres, with 2 team mates, we worked to try and break the group, thinking of Barbero.

"We went to see it before the departure, we knew we would have to enter in front, that it would be difficult for the peloton to control it, and that we would have to arrive with Carlos well-positioned in front, there were a lot of curves and it was very narrow.

"I took off, my legs were doing well and I didn’t look back, if you turn you lose time and then you see them ride by. It was a tremendous joy.

"It has been amazing, 2 stage wins, team general classification, the special sprints and several places among the top10. This is enormously positive for us, we’ve performed at a very high level with a great team. Let’s hope this winning streak doesn’t end, we have to keep on working and believing in ourselves.

"The generation from 1989 and 1990, we’ve been proving since last year that a generation change is coming, these are the years where we have to aim high.

"It’s a big family. At all the races, we are a really happy team. We work for each other, and when when one of us wins, the whole team wins. Without his puncture in stage 3, we came here thinking that Bilbao could win the overall. He had bad luck. We had options with Parra, a good climber, but he couldn’t stay in the front in the General Classifciaton. 

"I’m happy in this team but every rider wants to be in a big team. 

"I like the classics. I’ll go to 4 days of Dunkirk next and I’ll try and be high in GC, then I have 3 weeks to relax, and then the team will name 10 names for the Vuelta. I’ll either relax in the summer and ride the Vuelta, or ride in the summer and relax during the Vuelta.

"I want to dedicate it to my son, of course, I dedicated it to him as I crossed the finish-line and I do so again now. It is the best gift I can give him. Hopefully it won’t take so long to achieve the next victory, that what we’re here for, to keep on working so we can do this again in future races."

"Just to be invited to the Tour of Turkey, with some of the best teams in the world, was an honour, and to go home with two stage wins and the Teams Classification is a fantastic result," Bilbai said. "Team work was the key to our success here. The TUR is the turning point in our season. We started the season in difficulty because of injuries and illness, but now, we are on the right trajectory. In theory, Caja Rural - Seguros RGA is a small team with limited resources. Winning here and in Italy (the Tour of the Apennines with Omar Fraile) in the same week is great for us."