After several years at Euskaltel, Amets Txurruka has spent two seasons as one of the Caja Rural leaders. However, he is not satisified with 2014 and only saved his season with two late victories.
Amets Txurruka has turned himself into a winner. After several years at Euskaltel without any personal victories, he has taken three wins in his two years at Caja Rural, a stage of the Vuelta a Asturias and a stage and the overall at the Tour de Gevaudan.
He achieved the latter two victories in 2014 but it was only a small consolation after a season that did not pan out in the way he had desired.
"Personally I can not say I've been good, but with the victory at the Tour de Gevaudan and the races at the end of the season, I was able to turn a difficult season around," he told his team website.
"The team was good. We had an aggressive character and featured prominently in every race we did. The team has shown its face throughout the season and also achieved good results. We did a good season."
Txurruka has started his preparation for 2015 when he will again be one of the Caja Rural leaders.
"With the weather we have, it is not easy to start the season but otherwise I have not had any mishaps, so the preparation is going well," he said.
"I always want to improve, to take a small step forward. I will try to improve where I think there is something to gain and hopefully this will be reflected in the results. The bottom line needs to be healthy."
Txurruka is pleased that he has finally started to clock up wins and he hopes to continue the trend.
"You never know," he said. "I had started to think I would retire without any wins but now they have started to arrive. I will do my best."
Caja Rural have signed riders like Carlos Barbero, Sergio Pardilla, Eduard Prades and Ricardo Vilela for the coming season. Txurruka is confident that the team will be able to maintain its high level even though they have lost a key rider like Luis Leon Sanchez.
"We have quality riders for the difficult terrain," he said. "And we have a good mix of young riders and veterans. The truth is that I see a balanced team."
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