Caja Rural’s Txurruka to wear Orica-GreenEdge colours

After leaving much of the field at the Tour de Beauce in his dust as a rider with Caja Rural-RGA Seguros, Amets Txurruka, a 32-year-old veteran of 14 Grand Tours, is making the leap to Orica-GreenEdge, the Australian team confirmed today.

In addition to Beauce, Txurruka also took the Vuelta a Asturias in 2013 and a stage of this year’s Tour of Norway, establishing himself as one of the more aggressive, contentious names in pro cycling. As he moves over to Orica-GreenEdge, though, Txurruka will take something of a back seat in a supporting role, with the team looking to put the climbing skills of Esteben Chaves as well as Adam and Simon Yates out front. In emphasizing Txurruka’s role in that respect, the team looks back to 2012, the last year that the Basque rider was with Euskaltel-Euskadi.

“At Euskatel,” said Orica-GreenEdge sporting director Neil Stephens last week, “Amets was a right hand man to Samuel Sanchez. He has a heap of experience; he can climb well and he is a guy that is very realistic about his ability and he just wants to ride at the top level.”

Strategically, the team appears to be looking to Txurruka as a secret weapon of sorts, backing up its forward arsenal of climbers. “He will be the final rider to support our young climbers in the hillier races,” Stephens continued. “As well as the physical support, doing a turn or moving them up into a position, he will also be there to pass on experience and tactics as well.”

Txurruka himself describes the chance to ride with the Aussie squad as a can’t-miss opportunity.

“It’s a real dream come through for me to start this next chapter of my career,” the 32-year-old rider said. “I’ve had a great time at Caja-Rural-RGA and I have a lot to thank them for, but joining Orica-GreenEdge is a once in a lifetime chance that couldn’t be missed. “