After weeks of speculation, the question of surprise double 2024 Vuelta a España stage winner Pablo Castrillo's future team was resolved on Wednesday when Movistar announced they had signed Castrillo for the next three years.
Castrillo, 23, rocketed to cycling fame during the 2024 Vuelta, claiming two lone summit finish stage wins in the space of four days.
For Castrillo's Kern Pharma team, the first win on stage 12 at la Manzaneda had a huge emotional impact, coming just a few hours after they had announced that its founder and former president, Manolo Azcona, had died at the age of 71.
Despite having emerged from the radar in such dramatic fashion, Castrillo then provided Kern Pharma with a second, arguably even more impressive win ahead of Bora-Hansgrohe-Red Bull racer Aleksandr Vlasov at the much harder ascent of Cuitu Negru.
Taking two of only four stage wins in any 2024 Grand Tour for a wildcard team - one other coming from teammate Urko Berrade also at the Vuelta - was an eye-catching achievement and Castrillo received multiple offers for his services in 2025 and beyond.
Since then Castrillo has further boosted his profile with a strong ride in the Worlds - he was one of the few riders to launch an attack before Tadej Pogačar went clear - and he has completed his breakthrough season with seventh in the CRO Race.
The Spaniard finally opted for home WorldTour team Movistar, saying in a press release announcing the news that "these past few weeks have been a huge leap forward for me as a person and a big boost to my sporting career."
"They are the reference point of Spanish cycling and getting the chance to race in this squad is a hugely inspiring moment."
