The day that almost never came for Txurruka

After almost eight years of trying, Amets Txurruka finally got the reward he's been craving by taking his very first professional victory in Saturday's Vuelta a Asturias.

Rarely has there been a more deserving winner of a bike race. Sensing the opportunity to take Euskaltel and Movistar by surprise, the diminutive climber attacked the peloton after the last climb of the day some five clicks from the line in Pola de Lena.

For once, he wasn't to be caught. The Caja Rural rider soloed across the line four seconds ahead of a select group lead home by Jorge Martín Montenegro (Louletano) and Mikel Landa of Euskaltel.

"I feel an immense joy right now", he tells the team's website. "I thought I would retire without ever getting to win a race, but finally, here in Asturias, it's come to fruition. I'm so happy".

Along with Euskaltel, Txurruka's Caja Rural animated the racing throughout by continuously sending riders up the road. For the former, the likes of Jon Aberasturi and Adrián Sáez both made sorties off the front, not to mention the prodigious Mikel Aristi of farmer team Euskadi.

The team once again eluded 'the Carrots', but they'll head into tomorrow's decider well placed on GC given Landa's third place and Peio Bilbao's 10th.

Results (Euskadi riders in cursive):

• (1, Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural), 4:21:03)
• 3, Mikel Landa, 0:04
• 10, Peio Bilbao, s.t.
• 12, Haritz Orbe, 0:17
• 21, Garikoitz Bravo, 0:55
• 22, Igor Merino, s.t.
• 24, Adrián Sáez, 5:04
• 41, Mikel Bizkarra, 7:49
• 43, Aritz Bagües, s.t.
• 46, Ricardo García, 9:18
• 58, Mikel Iturria, 15:58
• 73, Jon Aberasturi, 19:23
• 76, Mikel Aristi, s.t.
• 79, Jon Larrinaga, 30:36
• 90, Unai Iparraguirre, 30:58
• 98, Jure Kocjan, s.t.
• 102, Carlos Barbero, s.t.
• DNF: Tarik Chaoufi