Already the youngest team in the top two tiers of professional road cycling in 2021, youth will still be the most prominent quality in Equipo Kern Pharma’s roster next season. The squad led by Manolo Azcona and Juanjo Oroz will count on 24 riders for a campaign on which it plans to make its grand tour debut.
Equipo Kern Pharma finalized its recruitment for the upcoming season with the signing of Héctor Carretero, who returns to the club on which he developed as an under23 after five years with Movistar Team. Besides, Spain’s newest UCI ProTeam promoted four promising riders from its feeder team, Equipo Lizarte. Both Spanish U23 national champions, Igor Arrieta (ITT) and Iván Cobo (RR), will turn pro along Copa de España champion Pau Miquel and Vuelta a Zamora winner Eugenio Sánchez.
19 out of the 20 riders that made part of the pharmaceutical team’s roster in 2021 will stay next year, as 18 of them were still under contract and Jaime Castrillo has extended his commitment with the Spanish UCI ProTeam. On the other hand, veteran sprinter Enrique Sanz calls it a career after eleven seasons in the pro ranks.
All in all, Equipo Kern Pharma will have a 24-strong roster with an average age well below 23 years old. Héctor Carretero will be the eldest rider, being 26 by January 1st, 2022, while Igor Arrieta will just turn 19 on December 8th this year.
“We believe we have put together our best roster ever,” asserts Equipo Kern Pharma’s Team Manager and Sports Director, Juanjo Oroz. “We have decided to keep together a squad of riders that has already displayed very exciting performances and will begin next season with a further year of experience under their belts.”
“Expanding the roster by four riders will in turn enable us to expand our racing schedule. We have proven time and again we can be competitive in a wide range of terrains. Next year we aim to contend for a good result at every event we enter, from the very first to the very last racing day of the season. We also hope to make our grand tour debut – and to do it on a good note.”
Equipo Kern Pharma 2022 Roster
Roger Adrià (18/04/1998, Barcelona)
Jon Agirre (10/09/1997, Zumaia)
Sergio Araiz (19/04/1998, Ayegui)
Igor Arrieta (08/11/2002, Uharte Arakil)
Urko Berrade (28/11/1997, Pamplona)
Héctor Carretero (28/05/1995, Madrigueras)
Jaime Castrillo (13/03/1996, Jaca)
Iván Cobo (02/01/2000, Astillero)
Kiko Galván (01/12/1997, Lliça d’Amunt)
Carlos García Pierna (23/07/1999, Tres Cantos)
Raúl García Pierna (23/02/2001, Tres Cantos)
Álex Jaime (29/09/1998, Sarrià de Ter)
Jordi López (14/08/1998, Badalona)
Diego López Fuentes (09/12/1997, Estella)
Martí Márquez (09/02/1996, Llinars del Vallés)
Daniel Méndez (02/06/2000, Bogotá)
Pau Miquel (20/08/2000, Sant Quirze del Vallés)
Iván Moreno (27/05/1996, Castellón)
Savva Novikov (27/07/1999, Tula)
José Félix Parra (16/01/1997, Ossa de Montiel)
Vojtěch Řepa (14/08/2000, Velká Bíteš)
Ibon Ruiz (30/01/1999, Vitoria)
Eugenio Sánchez (10/03/1999, Calpe)
Danny van der Tuuk (05/11/1999, Assen)
