He Kern Pharma Team faces the last third of the season facing two new classics in Spain this week and returning to the always exciting Return to Portugal (Portugal, UCI 2.1, 24/07-04/08). On Tuesday, the Tour of Castile and León (Spain, UCI 1.1, 23/07) will offer a great opportunity to the fastest before the following day's 'Grandísima' begins with a varied 11-stage route that begins with a prologue in Águeda and ends with an individual time trial in Viseu. On Thursday, it's time for the historic Test Villafranca – Ordiziako Klasika (Spain, UCI 1.1, 25/07), whose demanding layout remains unchanged from previous editions.
A long day of 200 kilometers awaits the cyclists of the Kern Pharma Team in the Classical to Castile and León. Reduced to a classic format, there will be five mountain difficulties—all of them third category—that will have to be overcome before a probable volata on the Cistérniga. "The wind, if there is any, can cause cuts because these are open, moorland areas. We will protect Marc Brustenga and Kiko Galván so that they can compete in the race," he advances Pablo Urtasun, sports director of Kern Pharma Team in Castile and Leon.
The Return to Portugal This Wednesday, the first of the 11 stages that make up the Tour will take place. The mountains will be the focus from the start, with Miranda do Corvo hosting the first mountain finish of the edition on stage 1. Torre (on stage 3) and Srª da Graça (on stage 9) complete the high mountain scene of this 85th edition. The remaining days, with the exception of the finishes in Lisbon and Fafe, which seem to be reserved for sprinters, will see the mid-mountain stage take center stage, and the breakaways will have a chance of reaching the finish line.
Jon Armendariz, who will lead the Kern Pharma Team on Portuguese soil, he points out: “We would like to have a very good overall result with José Félix Parra and win a stage. With mountains from the very beginning, it's a tour that suits his abilities. He's trained well in Sierra Nevada, and we believe he's in a position to be a protagonist. Plus, we're arriving with a full team that will allow us to be competitive in the remaining stages."
The ascents to Abaltzisketa and Altzo will once again be decisive in the resolution of the Classical Ordiziako. "We were already good last year and we want to improve on that performance. The bulk of the team comes from the high-altitude training camp and is an ideal profile for riders like Pau Miquel either Jordi López, and things are going well for him too Unai Iribar either Antonio Soto, so we will look for the best possible result,” he explains. Pablo Urtasun, at the head of the Kern Pharma Team in the national classics.
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