After securing the services of three promising neo-pros like the U23 Spanish Cup winner, Jordi López, and the brothers Raúl and Carlos García Pierna, Equipo Kern Pharma has opted to recruit a rider who already knows well the pro ranks for its 2021 campaign.
Diego López Fuentes (1997, Ayegui – Navarra) joins Equipo Kern Pharma from Fundación Euskadi, an outfit on which he has raced for two years as an amateur and three as a professional, in both the UCI Continental and UCI Professional categories. Over these seasons, López Fuentes has proven his quality as a rouleur, both in breakaways and in time trials like the Spanish National Championships ITT, on which he was 10th in 2019.
“Diego López Fuentes has a great, untapped potential,” says Equipo Kern Pharma’s Team Manager, Juanjo Oroz. “Both [Team’s President] Manolo Azcona and me have wanted to recruit him for several years already, since back when he still was a junior.”
“Now it’s time for us to put him on a place and an environment on which he can thrive. He is a powerhouse and we are confident he can become an all-rounder. With time and patience, he will enjoy some breakthrough rides that will make him become an excellent cyclist.”
“I really like this outfit,” says Diego López Fuentes of Equipo Kern Pharma. “From the outside, it looks like a real team. That’s the reason their riders develop their talent and step up a notch every year. There is a really good vibe around the squad.”
“Even though I’ve always been touted as a time-trialist, I think I can add a lot to the team in other aspects. I consider myself a rider capable of performing well in different terrains – a solid rider. It’s only in tough, long climbs that I have a hard time.”
“I am a courageous cyclist, one who enjoys to break clear from the bunch. I want to have fun as a cyclist. Happiness is my priority. I am sure that, once I manage to feel at ease within the team, I’ll improve as a rider. I dream of doing well at Gran Premio Miguel Indurain, my home race.”
