1-2-3! Berrade Extends Kern Pharma's Hot Streak at Vuelta

Thursday, 05 September 2024

Urko Berrade kept the hot streak alive for the CADEX-sponsored Kern Pharma team at the Vuelta a España, winning Stage 18 to give the Spanish upstart squad its third victory of the three-week grand tour.

CADEX riders stormed the finish on the hilly Stage 18, with four of the top-10 riders all on CADEX WheelSystems. Team Jayco AlUla rider Mauro Schmid, also riding CADEX, finished a close second on the day, and Berrade’s teammates Pablo Castrillo and Pau Miquel made the lead group as well, finishing eighth and ninth respectively.
 
Castrillo Throws a 1-2 Punch  
 
Berrade’s victory followed two dazzling wins from his teammate Castrillo, who broke through for his first-ever pro victory on Stage 12 with a superb climbing display and solo attack in the final 10km of that stage. The 23-year-old was part of a 10-man break that went clear 27km into the shortest stage of this year’s Vuelta, a 137km race from Ourense to a summit finish atop Montaña de Manzaneda.
 
That was the biggest result of Castrillo’s career to date. It was also an emotional day for the team, whose former team president and founder Manolo Azcona had passed away the previous day.
 
“Honestly, I still don’t believe it,” said Castrillo, who earned the win riding his CADEX Max 40 WheelSystem. “I’ve won my first stage at the Vuelta. I’m going to dedicate the victory to my team, my family, and a very special person, Azcona, who died last night, and I was thinking about him today.”
 
Three days later, Castrillo struck again, launching a solo attack 3km from the summit finish of Stage 15 to Cuito Negru. In a thrilling battle with Russian Aleksandr Vlasov, the Spaniard proved strongest again, conquering the brutally steep 20 percent grades in the final kilometer to earn another career win in his home country.
 
“I am speechless,” Castrillo said after the win. “Winning this second stage, on such a climb and with such tough rivals, is something incredible. It is something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
 
Berrade Makes it 3
 
Kern Pharma was already riding high in the final week of its home nation grand tour, but the underdog squad wasn’t content to rest on their laurels. They had set their sights on achieving more, and now it was Berrade’s turn.
 
The 26-year-old who is from Pamplona, near the finish of Stage 18 at Maestu-Parque Natural de Izki, was able to join an early breakaway group of 42 riders. Making their intentions clear, Kern Pharma put two other riders, Castrillo and Miquel, in the break as well. As they tackled the undulating terrain of the Basque Country in northern Spain, the group was whittled down over several categorized climbs.
 
Following a series of attacks and counter-attacks, a lead group of 13 survivors, including all three Kern Pharma riders along with Team Jayco AlUla rider Mauro Schmid, was set for the final showdown. Schmid, the Swiss national road champion who was riding with his CADEX 50 Ultra WheelSystem, had been active throughout the Vuelta and already had an impressive second-place finish on Stage 13. That result came two days after his Jayco AlUla teammate Eddie Dunbar won Stage 11.
 
Hitting the final climb with 6km to go, Dutch rider Steven Kruijswijk was the first to attack. He was quickly joined by Berrade, and halfway up the climb the Spanish rider went solo. He continued to pour it on, gaining a 15-second gap and then holding it to the line to score his first professional win since he turned pro in 2019.

"I saw the moment and said to myself I'm going to gamble and make it to the top," Berrade said after his win. "This third stage win is a dream for the whole team. A joy and a triumph that we all have achieved together, fighting and enjoying these good moments together, just as we faced the bad ones before."

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