A day after the founder passed away, his protégé Castrillo wins in the Vuelta: "I was very nervous for the finale"

Equipo Kern Pharma was in mourning on Thursday morning after the news that Azcona had passed away at the age of 71. The Spaniard was the mastermind behind the creation of Equipo Kern Pharma in 2020 and had played a crucial role in Spanish cycling in recent years. As a result, Castrillo and his teammates wore mourning bands. "This is for Manolo, a special man who passed away yesterday. I thought about him today," Castrillo said in the flash interview.

After the finish, Castrillo did not yet realize what had happened to him. First, he had to catch his breath, then came the emotions, followed by a phone call with his girlfriend, and, of course, his teammates congratulating him one by one. "I can't believe it. This is an amazing victory for the team and the staff. It’s the best day of my life."

No one expected him to win. And yet, Castrillo went for it when the last ten kilometers began and his seemingly much stronger breakaway companions started looking at each other. He had never won a race as a pro rider before, although he had been in the breakaway three times earlier in this Vuelta. "It was a tough start, and in the end, I was with all these strong guys. I was very nervous for the finale, but I decided to attack on the flat section. That led to this victory because behind me, everyone was looking at each other."