Cycling Profile: Samuel Sanchez
Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer and he was born in Oviedo, Asturias on February 5, 1978. He started his professional career in 2000 and joined the Spanish team Euskaltel-Euskadi and currently rides for them.
He secured a gold medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics Men’s road race. He was the most important cyclists in the peloton, due to his good performance in hilly classics and stage races in recent year and also knows as one of the greatest descenders in the peloton.
In the 2003 season, Sanchez grabbed sixth place in Liege-Bastogne-Liege and also took third place in Basque Country Tour. He continued his good efforts and secured overall 15th place in his first Vuelta a Espana race. In the early season of 2005,
he managed to gain a major win after won the 13th stage of Vuelta a Espana and took overall 11th spot in the race. Samuel shifted in 10th spot after winner Roberto Heras was erased because of a doping case.
In 2006 season, Sanchez showed a good performance and took two stages in Vuelta al Pais Vasco and secured a second spot in La Fleche Wallonne. He also won the two stages of Basque country tour and secured overall fourth place in Paris-Nice.
In the Vuelta a Espana race, he won the thirteen stage after a daring attack in the downhill sector and continued his good effort and grabbed overall seventh spot in the race. Sanchez made a main role in decisive break in the final kilometers and won overall
4th place behind Paolo Bettini. After two weeks he took part in Giro di Lombardia and took runner-up spot and grabbed second place in UCI ProTour standing.
In the 2007 season, Sanchez secured 9th spot in Paris-Nice race and also won the time trial in Vuelta al Pais Vasco as he finished third in the final standing. Sanchez increased his pace and managed to win the final stage of Volta a Catalunya.
In Vuelta a Espana race, he grabbed 15th stage by easily beating Manuel Beltran. In the final kilometers, Sanchez showed his good downhill skill while Beltran told him to go away but he denied. He also won the 19th and 20th
stage and also took overall 3rd spot in the race.
In 2008 season, Sanchez secured overall sixth place in Tour de France and also won the 2b stage of Vuelta a Asturias. He showed his skill in the Men’s Olympic road race and easily beat the other cyclists. In the season of 2009, Sanchez took the GP Llodio
and grabbed runner-up spot in Vuelta a Espana. He also came in third spot in Basque Tour and leading in Points standing as well.
In the 2010 season, Sanchez took the first spot in Klasika Primavera and won the overall Vuelta a Burgos as well as two stages and points standing of the race. He also took overall fourth place in Tour de France and Paris-Nice.
In the 2011 Tour de France Sanchez was among the favourites but in the first week the standing was down due to a series of crashes. In the 12 stage of the race, he launched an attack to take a lead in final climb and also took the overall King of Mountain
title.
In the Tour of Baque Country he grabbed overall sixth place and also took fourth stage of the race. Due to his good effort he won the first stage of Vuelta a Burgos and if he continues his good efforts he might have a good chance to win the next year Tour
de France race.
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