Caja Rural is set to return to the Tour de France decades after its last appearance, rekindling memories from the Marino Lejarreta era of 1987 and 1988. The rider from Berriz finished 10th in the 1987 edition.
The return to the French race will be the main challenge for Caja Rural, which will revive a jersey inspired by the late 1980s attire from its recent history for this celebrated occasion.
To fine-tune the team that will start on July 4th in Barcelona with a team time trial, Caja Rural competed last week in the Tour Auvergne, a prelude to the Grande Boucle, achieving a notable performance.
The climbers stood out in the lineup directed by Rubén Martínez: José Félix Parra and Jan Castellon.
The rider from La Mancha and the Catalan displayed excellent consistency, staying close to the main leaders in the finishes at Crest-Voland and Grand Colombier on Friday and Saturday, as well as in the finale on Sunday at Plateau de Solaison, where both improved their general classification positions.
The team's achievement in a prestigious race is significant. José Félix Parra secured his place among the top ten, climbing to ninth overall, while Castellon moved up four positions to finish eleventh in the general classification won by Isaac del Toro. The performances offered were highly rewarding.
170 UCI points were added to Caja Rural's annual tally.
“"It has been a spectacular week, for me and for the entire Caja Rural team. I really enjoyed pushing myself in one of the best races of the season. I also believe that both the team's level and attitude were excellent. We performed brilliantly, both my teammates and I. I'm exhausted, but very satisfied with both the performance and the result."
