Seven years waiting for his big opportunity - ́The most eagerly anticipated Spanish move to the World Tour in 2027
Cycling
In 2027, Urko Berrade will take one of the biggest steps of his career. The Navarrese rider will leave Equipo Kern Pharma after seven seasons to join XDS Astana Team, signing a two-year contract through the end of 2028. At 28, the winner of a stage at the 2024 Vuelta a España will have his first chance to compete on the World Tour as part of one of the leading teams in international cycling.
The move is a reward for a career built patiently. Berrade has spent almost his entire professional career with the project led by Manolo Azcona and Juanjo Oroz, having joined Kern Pharma in 2020. He has progressed from a domestique to one of the team’s leading riders, delivering results that have shown he can compete against riders from bigger teams.
His move to the Kazakh team also follows a particularly consistent 2026 season. Although he has not won a race, the Navarrese rider has secured several strong results across a range of events and once again impressed at the Vuelta a España. His consistency has convinced Alexandr Vinokurov, who sees him as a climber capable of filling one of the team’s needs.
Seven seasons at Kern Pharma before taking the final step
Berrade’s story with the Navarrese project began even before he turned professional. He developed in the Lizarte amateur team and stepped up to the professional ranks with Euskadi-Murias in 2019. A year later, he joined Kern Pharma, where he remained through the end of 2026.
Urko Berrade is joining XDS Astana Team in 2027
During that time, he has experienced almost the entire evolution of the team, from its early days at ProTeam level to becoming a squad capable of regularly competing in some of the biggest races on the international calendar. Berrade has been one of the riders who best embodies that progress.
His breakthrough came at the 2024 Vuelta a España. The Navarrese rider won stage 18, finishing in Maeztu, after prevailing from the breakaway. That victory was one of the biggest successes in Kern Pharma’s history and confirmed Berrade’s ability to seize opportunities at the highest level.
In 2025, he raised his arms again, winning the Clàssica Camp de Morvedre. It was not a victory on the scale of his Vuelta stage win, but it further showed that he could race for results of his own rather than simply provide support for his teammates.
His career has developed steadily. He was not one of those riders who suddenly burst onto the international scene, but instead accumulated experience until he found the consistency needed to take the next step. His move to XDS Astana marks the culmination of that journey and a chance to discover just how far he can go.
A 2026 season that convinced Vinokurov
XDS Astana’s decision to sign Berrade makes particular sense when viewed against his results in 2026. The Spaniard enjoyed a winless campaign, but delivered a string of strong performances that showed he can stay close to the best across different types of terrain.
One of his first notable results came at the Giro di Sardegna, where he finished fourth overall. He also took third at the Clàssica Terres de l'Ebre and won bronze in the road race at the Spanish National Championships. He added sixth overall at the Baku-Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Tour and eighth at the La Route d'Occitanie.
His most impressive performances, however, came once again at the Vuelta a España. Berrade finished second on the stage to Calar Alto, coming close to a second win at the Spanish Grand Tour. He later placed fourth at Peñas Blancas and fifth on the stage finishing at Collado del Alguacil.
Three top-five finishes on mountain stages strengthened his case for a move to a World Tour team. His performances at the Spanish race also showed he can remain competitive across three weeks, even if challenging for the overall classification is not necessarily his objective.
| Race | Urko Berrade’s 2026 result |
| Giro di Sardegna | 4th overall |
| Clàssica Terres de l'Ebre | 3rd |
| Spanish National Road Race Championships | 3rd |
| Baku-Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Tour | 6th overall |
| Tour de l'Occitanie | 8th overall |
| Vuelta a España | 2nd at Calar Alto, 4th at Peñas Blancas and 5th at Collado del Alguacil |
These results explain why the Kazakh team decided to sign him. The move is not based solely on his 2024 stage victory, but also on a season in which he proved his consistency and ability to compete on demanding courses.
Vinokurov has already outlined what he expects from the Spanish rider
XDS Astana general manager Alexandr Vinokurov has offered some clues about the role Berrade could play in his new team. The Kazakh team boss was particularly impressed by his performances in 2026 and his ability to handle the mountains.
“We followed Urko’s season with great interest. He performed at a high level all year and rode a very strong Vuelta a España, where he came close to claiming the second stage win of his career,” Vinokurov explained.
The team boss was also specific when describing Berrade’s qualities: “He is a strong climber who can help us fill one of the positions that has opened up in the team.”
The statement suggests Astana are not necessarily signing him to become one of their leaders, but to strengthen a squad that needs riders with a range of qualities. Berrade will have to prove his value in stage races and seize any opportunities that come his way when he is given freedom to race.
Vinokurov also left open the possibility that the team still needs to discover Berrade’s best role: “We still need to fully assess Berrade’s potential and see how he performs in different roles, but I believe he has everything it takes to become a solid World Tour professional.”
That is a significant statement, as the team itself acknowledges that there is still room to find out just how far the rider can go. His arrival is not being framed as a bet on an established leader, but as the signing of a rider who has shown promise and must now adapt to a higher level of competition.
Urko Berrade finished second on stage 12 of the 2026 Vuelta a España
Berrade does not want to limit himself to working for his teammates
Berrade has also explained how he views the move. He was especially pleased to have the chance to join the World Tour and acknowledged that his main goal in his first year will be to learn from his new teammates, coaches and sports directors.
“I’m very happy to take this step up and join the World Tour with a team like XDS Astana Team. This is a great opportunity for me, and I’d like to thank the team management for giving me this chance. I’ll do everything I can to repay their trust with my results,” he said.
The Navarrese rider also made clear that he is ready to take on different responsibilities: “Next year, my main goal will be to learn from my teammates, coaches and sports directors, so I can grow stronger and more confident step by step. I’m 100% ready to help the team wherever needed and do everything I can to achieve our goals.”
However, Berrade does not want to give up on pursuing results of his own. “Of course, I’ll also try to make the most of every opportunity to show what I can do,” he added.
That final point is especially relevant in understanding what he can bring to the team. His profile suits a rider who can work for the leaders at certain moments, but also take advantage of days when he is given the freedom to target a win. His victory at the 2024 Vuelta showed that he knows how to read breakaways and pick the right moment to attack.
A new setting after a career closely tied to Spanish cycling
Joining XDS Astana also marks a major change in Berrade’s sporting environment. After seven seasons with the same project, he will move to an international squad, where he will need to adapt to new teammates, sports directors and ways of working.
The race calendar will also be different. Moving up to the Worl dTour will allow him to compete in top-tier races without relying on the invitations Kern Pharma needed to gain entry to certain events. He will have more chances to test himself against the best teams and race on courses where he has not always been able to compete until now.
The move also carries particular significance for Spanish cycling. Berrade is leaving one of the structures that has given Spanish riders the most opportunities in recent years and joining a foreign team where he will share the squad with riders of different nationalities. Indeed, Diario de Navarra described him as the only Spaniard on the XDS Astana roster for 2027 when his signing was announced.
His departure marks the end of a highly significant chapter, but also gives him the chance to see whether the work he has put in over the years can translate into a definitive step up.
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At 28, Berrade is not joining the WorldTour as a prospect fresh out of the under-23 ranks. He arrives with a Vuelta stage win, other professional victories and a very solid 2026 season behind him. He has enough experience to know how to race, while still having room to discover how far he can go.
XDS Astana have given him two seasons to prove it. The team expects him to be a reliable climber and a rider who can offer options in stage races. Berrade, for his part, wants to learn, help his new teammates and make the most of individual opportunities when they arise. After seven years building his career at Kern Pharma, he now has the chance he has been pursuing for some time: to prove he can also earn a place among the best in the world.
Jorge BorregueroWriter
Jorge Borreguero is a journalist with a degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a writer for Cyclinguptodate and Ciclismoaldia since early 2023. In this role, he has played a key part in the evolution of the website, particularly as a specialist covering Movistar Team. He regularly writes race reports, analytical pieces, and in-depth features about the team, and has conducted exclusive interviews and attended multiple team presentations, providing readers with firsthand insights into one of the leading professional cycling squads.
Throughout his career, Jorge has maintained a strong focus on sports journalism, gaining experience across a variety of disciplines, including basketball and football. However, his current work is almost entirely dedicated to cycling, contributing extensively to Ciclismoaldia and its sister website Cyclinguptodate. For these platforms, he combines thorough research with detailed reporting to deliver high-quality content, ranging from race previews and results to expert analysis of teams and riders.
Jorge’s reporting is marked by accuracy, depth, and a commitment to providing readers with reliable and authoritative information. His direct engagement with teams, athletes, and events ensures that his coverage reflects firsthand knowledge and professional insight. Through his work, he has established himself as a trusted voice in professional cycling journalism, bridging the gap between the sport and its global audience while maintaining rigorous editorial standards.
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