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Pablo Castrillo wins stage 12 of the Vuelta a España.

Vuelta stage 12 report: Pablo Castrillo takes his first pro win in style

The Kern Pharma rider solos clear of the break and climbs to victory at the Manzaneda ski station.

Dane Cash
by Dane Cash 29.08.2024 Photography by
Cor Vos
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Pablo Castrillo soloed clear of the breakaway on stage 12 of the Vuelta a España to take his first ever pro victory, Kern Pharma’s first ever win in the team’s home Grand Tour, and the home country’s first win in this year’s race.

The 23-year-old Spaniard attacked out of the breakaway group on a flatter section a little ways up the day’s final climb to the Manzaneda ski station, and he held off the attempts of those behind to catch him, crossing the line solo. The win comes less than a day after Kern Pharma announced the passing of former team president Manolo Azcona.

Max Poole (DSM Firmenich-PostNL) took second place on stage 12 with Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) in third. Farther down the climb, the GC riders mostly kept their powder dry ahead of some challenging stages to come. Ben O’Connor finished safely in the bunch to retain his overall lead.

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How it happened

I was a very nervous for the final but I decided to attack in the flat and … stage victory.

—Pablo Castrillo after the win
Pablo Castrillo on stage 12 of the Vuelta a España.
Castrillo spent the last several minutes of stage 12 on his own in pursuit of victory.

Brief analysis

Up next

Stage 13 from Lugo to Puerto de Ancares should see some late fireworks. The Puerto de Ancares has an average gradient of 9.3%. In fact, after a much easier first two kilometers, it’s in the double digits basically all the way to the finish line, with some 15% sections along the way. The elevation is nothing to scoff at either. This will be a day with GC implications.

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