He Kern Pharma win again. This time with Urko Berrade, which gives the modest Spanish team the third stage victory and adds, at 26 years old, his first stage victory in the Vuelta a España 2024. The Navarrese rider was the smartest of the escape, taking advantage of the stop produced after an almost definitive attack by Steven Kruijswijk to pursue him, overtake him and cross the finish line alone, in Maetzu.
From behind, the men of the general classification agitated the race through Carapaz who attacked, selected the main group, cutting O’Connor – who then rejoined – and leaving behind him Mikel Landa. The Vitorian was racing on home soil, but he found himself alone, losing more than three minutes to the favourites and dropping from fifth to ninth in the general classification, thus moving away from any possibility of reaching the podium on Madrid’s Gran Vía on Sunday.
One of the sensations of the Vuelta is undoubtedly the Kern Pharma. The Spanish team, in the second category, has become one of the protagonists of the race thanks to the great revelation of the Spanish round: Pablo Castrillo. Huesca, with their victories in Manzaneda and Cuitu Negru, have been the centre of attention during the two and a half weeks of competition.
In this 18th stage, apparently between wars and without consequences between the Lakes and the last three – two mountain races and the time trial in Madrid – the modest Spanish team managed to register three men in the breakaway of the day. Among them, of course, Castrillo. They wanted their third victory, but regular names of this edition like Soler, Kung, Vlasov, Schmid, Poole or even, Kruijswijk And Lazkano.
But on this occasion, the leading role of Kern Pharma would be assumed by Urko Berrade. All, just over five kilometers from the finish, when he responded to an attack that seemed definitive Kruijswijk. All the men present in the escape stopped and waited for the movement of the Spanish team, which was more present than any other. But Berrade’s response had no continuity, so he went to catch up with the Dutchman from Visma and launched a devastating attack to reach Maetzu’s goal alone.
New exhibition of Kern Pharma, who added his third victory in this Vuelta with the Navarrese. This time it could not be Castrillo, but they showed that they have more arguments beyond the revelation of this race to win stages.
