It is true. Such a firm and wild start has not been remembered since the time of Thin ParrotThe long-suffering Spanish cycling fan needed a pinch of emotion like the one he felt on Sunday when the figure of Pablo Castrillo Zapater emerged from the fog of the Cuitu Negru, an infernal appendix of the port of Haystacks Asturian. Like any cyclist, the young Aragonese (23 years old) suffers on such steep slopes. But he knows how to suffer. Because he has the mountains and cycling – and sport – in his blood. He was born in Pony (Huesca), heart of the Pyrenees and capital of Spanish ice hockey.
In fact, Pablo held a stick and put on bladed skates until he was 14. He played hockey until he succumbed to the temptation of two wheels. It was logical. His brother Jaime is a professional racer and currently plays for the Portuguese team Sabgal Anicolor; and his mother, Ana Zapaterhas been president of the Mayencos Cycling Cluba local sports institution.
The youngest of the Castrillos, a cadet at the time, took his first serious steps in another entity of the province, the Club Oscensea renowned cyclist’s quarry. He was champion of Aragon and, consequently, he was quick to climb the first step. In 2020 he moved to Navarra, home of the team Lizarda breeding ground for promising youngsters. There he more than met the expectations placed on him. Just two years later, he was crowned one of the best national under-23 cyclists with six victories in as many renowned events. Among them, the Memorial Valenciagathe Subida to Gorla and the Spanish Individual Time Trial Championship.
These successes caught the attention of professional teams, and in 2023 he signed his first contract. He was signed by the Kern Pharma. Already then, in one of his first interviews, he warned of what was to come: «I am an all-terrain cyclist “I like climbing the mountain the most. I also consider myself a team rider, who feels comfortable helping his teammates. What I like the most are the tough stage races. I have learned to be disciplined and focused on the same goal. The worst thing is the injuries or moments of uncertainty that inevitably come with this sport.”
“I hope to continue progressing as a runner. It is important to fit into the team “And that’s why I try to learn from all my colleagues. Improving the small details will make the difference,” he adds.
It wasn’t just words. He has demonstrated this power in the mountains by winning two stages of the 2024 Vuelta: the aforementioned Cuitu Negru and another port, the Orense one Manzaneda. And he has also displayed that group solidarity that is essential in a team sport.
Being the only Spaniard to have managed to cross the finish line first (twice) in this Vuelta has not made him lose his head or his humility. “His brother Jaime is being very important in helping him guide your steps in this complicated world of professional sport,” revealed the mother of the Castrillo Zapater family.
Every time Pablo returns home, to keep fit and keep his old friends, he usually goes out for a ride with his group of lifelong amateur cyclists from Jaca. With that same spirit of normality, after the latest and most recent successes, the Jaca Town Hallheaded by the mayor, is planning these days the best way to organize a popular tribute in which he will feel the affection of his neighbors and friends.
«The best thing is that I have found my passion,» he says. «Cycling is very important in my life, it is almost a way of life and I love it. I have learned to be disciplined and focused on the same goal.» With these vital premises, the Vuelta and Pablo reach another peak today: the Lakes of Covadonga.
