Vuelta revelation Berrade stays longer with Kern Pharma, fellow revelation Castrillo seems to be heading for the exit

It was a remarkable story in the recent Vuelta a España. The 'small' Equipo Kern Pharma recorded no fewer than three stage victories. The second of these was by Urko Berrade, who won the eighteenth stage in the Basque Country, which is sacred to the team. Following his breakthrough, Berrade has signed a contract extension until 2026, as announced by the Spanish team on its own website on Tuesday.

He was one of the major revelations in the 2024 edition of the Vuelta. After finishing eighth in the sixth stage and fifth in the eleventh stage, Berrade capped off his Vuelta with a victory in the eighteenth stage. After spending the entire day in a breakaway, he made the decisive move with just over five kilometers to go. In his own Basque Country, he secured his team’s third victory in this edition of the Tour of Spain. This success has led the Basque rider to decide to extend his contract.

"I am very happy to continue for another two years with the team that has seen me grow and has helped me take steps forward," begins the 26-year-old rider from Pamplona. "This year, I took the leap I was looking for and that was expected of me. It has been a pleasure to grow together with the team. Now that I’ve managed to find the best version of myself, that has been alongside the entire Kern Pharma Team. We have a special bond that will allow us to keep working on improvement and move forward."

"The contract extension of Urko Berrade is a triumph of team philosophy, just as the victory in La Vuelta reflects what we are and want to be," says sporting director Juanjo Oroz. "It is an example of those who complete stages step by step until they reach the top. The results are not immediate: hard work, having confidence, and knowing how to wait for your moment. That is what leads to success. Urko embodies all of that and gives us a lot of satisfaction."

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What about the other Kern Pharma revelation, namely Pablo Castrillo?

In addition to Berrade, Equipo Kern Pharma had another rider in the Vuelta who was, in a sense, even more impressive. The 23-year-old Pablo Castrillo turned the Tour of Spain upside down by winning not one but two stage victories. His win in the twelfth stage to Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda was already remarkable, but his triumph atop the Cuitu Negru confirmed the immense talent of the young Spaniard.

Of course, the WorldTour teams also took note of Castrillo’s performances, and interest in the 23-year-old climber soon became concrete. AS even claims to know that Castrillo will ride for a WorldTour team next year. "AS has been able to confirm the information from recent weeks, and Castrillo will be a Movistar rider in 2025. An announcement will be made officially this week," the Spanish outlet reports.

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