It's fair to say that not much was expected of Spanish wildcard team Equipo Kern Pharma at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. Three stage wins later however, there was no denying they were one of the stories of the race.
"There is no question about or denying their performance," reflects a very impressed Vuelta a Espana race director, Javier Guillen to AS about the wildcard team's success. "It is obvious that no invited team had ever achieved these results."
With Pablo Castrillo taking victories on stages 12 and 15, Urko Berrade then confirmed the strength in numbers of the team by winning stage 18 a few days later. According to Guillen, this is evidence of the great opportunities that the wildcard system can give to the somewhat lesser teams with smaller budgets and mostly local riders.
"In the end, by granting an invitation, you ask for a battle, for them to honour the race, and from that point of view they have been up to the task," the Vuelta a Espana director assesses. "In no way does this mean that they will be required to repeat the invitation in 2025. There is no right that grants this repetition, so when it is time for us to make our analyses we will evaluate everything. The invitation is completely free, within certain parameters, for the organiser, and I thank Equipo Kern Pharma for its dedication."
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