Samuel Sanchez regains form to start the 2012 season, also comments on Alberto Contador’s ban
Samuel Sanchez has fully recovered from hip injury and the cyclist is all set to begin his 2012 season at the Vuelta a Andalucia 2012.
He is hopeful to start his professional year on a high note and is desperate to claim the first win of the season as early as possible.
The Spaniard told La Voz de Asturias, “The surgeons managed to cut down the post-recovery period quite incredibly. Just 10 days after the operation I was able to get back on the home trainer”.
He finished fourth during the Tour de France 2010 and is now promoted to the third overall position after the disqualification of the overall winner of the race, Alberto Contador.
Contador was tested positive for clenbuterol during the Tour de France 2010 and the jury has now handed him a two-year ban.
The cyclist will now miss all the major cycling events, mainly, the Tour de France 2012, Giro d’ Italia 2012 and the London Olympics.
The Spaniard cannot ride at the international level until the August 5th and Vuelta a Espana is the only major cycling event of the 2012 season that he can take part in.
Moreover, Alberto has also been stripped-off from all the victories since the 2010 edition of the French Grand Tour.
Samuel Sanchez is very close to Contador and is currently training in Alicante. His main target for the 2012 season is to defend the Olympic crown, which he won during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
He commented on Contador’s ban, “I think that the penalty imposed on Alberto was unjust and excessive, especially when they recognized that he had not doped”.
“Finishing third in that way does not make me happy, as I’ve got no memories and emotions of the moment. It’s come out of the blue without me being able to savour it,” Sanchez continued.
The 34-year-old will also ride the Vuelta a Murcia, the Volta a Catalunya and the Vuelta al Pais Vasco in the season ahead.
He will take a break before starting his preparations for the Tour de France. Samuel finished 6th overall at the Tour de France 2011.
He also claimed the Mountains classification along with the 12th stage during the race.
Only time will tell if Sanchez can secure his first win at the Vuelta a Andalucia, scheduled from February 19th to February 23rd, 2012.
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