Join Ricardo Martinez Machado, Juan Pablo Asquiez, Carlos Bonila and Jose Alarcon on their adventures as they join the ranks of the Elite Professionals in Cycling!

La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
Seven stages of fun in Africa with Caja Rural getting season off to an outstanding start - with Ricardo Martinez Machado taking a victory on stage 4 and 10th overall. Machado also snatched a second place on stage 2 and was narrowly beaten to 2nd on the points classification. Angel Madrazo finishes second on stage 6.

Tour de San Luis Medium goal: Top 5

GP La Marseillaise
Arredondo produced a strong individual display to reach the favourites group in this hilly classic in France. A good 7th position followed in a race taken by the breakaway.

Tour of Oman Medium countered goal: Stage win - MISSED
Martinez Machado once again showed great sprinting signs particularly on the more hilly finishes with a 2nd on stage 2 and a 3rd on stage 3 on his way to 18th Overall. Jose Alarcon had a great ride up Green mountain with a 3rd on stage 4 on his way to 5th Overall

Volta ao Algarve
Much like La Tropicale, a last stage screw up cost several GC points. Still we continue to live up to our promise of attacking everytime the road goes up with Arredondo nabbing 2nd on the Malhao on stage 3. Angel Madrazo showed grit in the breakaway for the second time this year with another runner up spot on the fateful last stage that saw Arredondo tumble down GC leaving Marcos Garcia our highest GC finisher in 14th

Tour de Langkawi Easy goal: Top 10 - GAINED
Another excellent climb of a legendary climb with Genting Highlands being the setting for Jose Alarcon to clamber up to an eventual 2nd and GC 3rd. It was the team performance though that was really impressive winning the team standings and Gorka Verdugo got 5th on GC with another three riders in he top 22.

Clasica Almeria Easy countered goal: Top 10 - GAINED
A comfortable goal sealing performance as Martinez Machado nabbed a podium in this flat/hilly classic that suited the Spanish rider quite nicely despite it favouring the flat sprinters slightly.

Strade Bianchi
A tough startlist here in this hilly classic over the infamous white roads. The key here was to get one of our hill drones into a break. Antonio Piedra got in the right move but finished in the unfortunate 11th place which is just off where we would have targetted for this race. Arredondo was here but finished 23rd in a disappointing performance.

Roma Maxima
Another good classic performance this time by Juilian Arredondo who responded a little belatedly to the main moves but still got a decent 4th place. Strade Bianchi proved slightly disappointing but Roma Maxima was surpisingly more selective and these are the parcours for which Julian excels.

Volta a Catalunya Hard goal: Top 5 - MISSED
A slightly disappointing performance on GC was somewhat rectified on the final day as Gorka Verdugo made a well timed move from the days breakaway to take a stage win. Arredondo and Alarcon could not follow the best of the PT on the key stages.

GP Indurain Hard countered goal: Top 5 - MISSED
Another solid classics performance from Juilian Arredondo who managed 7th place. Hard though to be that happy finishing behind some riders from the breakaway.

Vuelta a Pais Basque Hard goal: Top 5 - MISSED
A brilliant stage one victory from a scrambled sprint from Andre Cardoso, was tinged with frustration at a narrowly missed hard goal sealing perfromance from Juilian Arredondo who stil produced a fine 6th place on GC

Brabasjnse Pilj
Someone told team boss that there were no cobbles. That person clearly lied, team boss vows to never send team to Belgium again!

Rund um Koln
A reminder once more of the credentials of Martinez Machado who managed a brilliant 2th place behind hime favourite Andre Griepal. A well set up day with Fernandez getting in the breakaway to save the team from chasing

My name is Ricardo Martinez Machado. I am a 21 year old sprinter from Portugal who can ride over the hills as well. I was born in Portugal and grew up playing football and hanging with girls but I realised that this lifestyle was not the one for me so when at age 17 I was dumped by my girlfriend, don't know why..., I started cycling to take my mind off her and the failures of my life. At age 18 I went on a cycling holiday around Italy, this was when I met the great Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi. He gave me a few tips when it comes to sprinting and general riding and from then on my only desire was to become a professional cyclist. From watching cycling I had seen too many sprinters be easily dropped on steep sections of the race but I did not want to be like that so I trained going uphill as well. I have spent the last 3 years of my life on the bike, my once thriving social life had disappeared for the greater good of my future as a cyclist. I continue to play football every now and then in social leagues with a few other cyclists who I sometimes ride with but I am too quick for them.

Jose Alarcon

We are particularly interested in signing a few more Hispanic speaking talents this season. We are eyeing up as many talents as possible - we have a good eye on a nice pair we'd like to grab.

We have decided not to renew Eastern Europeans contracts Domagalski and Petrov. We were concerned by some of the biological passport data of these two riders, Petrov in particular was showing some alarming reductions.

We are already in discussions about Francesca Lasca - who we feel would be better moving on to further his career after some encouraging results for us.

Riders continue to come and go as Caja Rural work hard to make sure they have a top roster for the coming year, whilst allowing other riders oppurtunities to follow their dreams in the protour.

The main headline deal in the Basque region is the return of Amets Txurruka and Ivan Velasco to Euskatel-Euskadi in return for 'faux' Basques Gorka Verdugo and Pablo Urtasan. However this was not the only deal to transpire between Caja Rural and the protour with Movistar climber Angel Madrazo swapped for Ruben Fernandez.

We are also very pleased that Francesca Lasca has moved up to Cannondale with sprinter Lucas Sebastian Haedo and Colombian climber Cayatano Sarmiento joining us.

Veteran Xavier Zandio has been bought in from Team Sky. With Team Colombia offloading experienced road captain Leonardo Duque in return for Cuban prospect Yelko Gomez.

We can also announce another brilliant Colombian rider who will be riding in green for the next year in Julian Arredondo.

We have the chance to add a few more free agents to out squad for which we are hoping will number around 24 by the time racing begins.

Juan Pablo Aquez

Hey guys, I'm Juan Pablo Asquez. I grew up on nothing but my bike, up and down the hills and mountains surrounding my village. When I started to enter stage races, I would do terribly. I wasn't bad, it's just because of the ITT. I would be in red at the start of the day, but I would lose terribly on the ITT. It was because of the wheelsucking mentality many juniors were encouraged to use. One day, after many hours of searching, me and my coach sat down. I told him I wanted to be a pro cyclist. He honestly said he believed in me. Then I said I wanted to win the Vuelta, and I was deadly serious. I showed him tapes. No, not those tapes. Tapes of Purito accelerating, of Schleck on the Galibier. I had to attack.
And it worked. I started to win by much larger margins over the TTers, despite huge solos and ITTs, I was too good. I was so driven to become a pro cyclist. I received comparisons to Purito, which was amazing. It became a trademark of mine, my attacking.

Down To Business

I think the transfers made by Caja are great, I am excited to work with two great Colombian climbers this year, on top off all the great transfers we have made.
On a personal level, I want to be the best domestique I can be, as well as plenty of BOTD's and maybe a leading role in a smaller race. I also want to go to La Vuelta, this is my main motivator for great performances, but at the moment it is a reward, and most definitely not a given.

See you guys around,
Juan

Hey guys it's Juan.

So looking at our calendar for the start of the season, I don't mind not peaking my fitness to high early on if I am not needed to, though I am on call for a free or leading role early on. If it is possible I would like to ride the Volta a Catalunya but I know we have many talented climbers so I will have to prove myself at minor races which I am sure we can discuss. I would take a leading role anywhere without hesitation, a free role almost surely, and I am of course open to discuss domestique duties as that will be one of my main goals this season alongside free roles.

I would also like to ride La Vuelta a España if I can prove to you throughout the season I am worthy of a domestique/free role in a Grand Tour. This is only the start of the season, so I am sure we can discuss my entire race schedule for Part 1 sometime this week.

See you guys around,
Juan

Our EPIC riders have been eager to find out where they will be causing havoc in part one of the season. We are delighted to give them exact iteneries.

Jose Alarcon will ride San Luis, Oman, Langkawi and mix it with the big boys at the Volta.

Ricardo will take leadership at Gabon and indeed at the hilly classics GP Marsaille, GP Indurain, Strade Bianchi, Roma Maxima. He will also be given the captains armband at Clasica Almeria. In most of these classics Julian Arredondo will co lead with Ricardo so hopefully not to much pressure on him. Ricardo will however be on his own in Gabon.

Juan Pablo Asquiez has a little to learn before he is given the leaders armband. However he will have nice chances riding in San Luis and Langkawi this month. I am flexible with regards to the Volta, I would like to see something from Asquiez in race before I commit to him riding this one.

All three will have to be careful with their schedules early because they have been pencilled in to ride the Vuelta.