Samuel Sánchez

Samuel Sánchez González ( born February 5, 1978 in Oviedo, Asturias ) is a Spanish cyclist.

• 3.1 Placements in the Grand Tours

Driver type

Samuel Sánchez is considered alongside Thor Hushovd and Vincenzo Nibali as one of the best skier of the current professional cyclists. His skills as a skier are comparable to those of former professional cyclists Paolo Savoldelli. He is one of the best riders in hilly one-day classics, since he also is very explosive on the mountain and, in relation to other good mountain riders sprint very strong. His qualities as an all-rounder he could ask several times in recent years at the Vuelta a España and the Tour de France to the test.

Career

Prior to 2006

1997 won Sanchez with the fifth stage of the Bidasoa Itzulia his first race.

In 2000, Sánchez Euskaltel -Euskadi professional with where he still runs today. His place in the team, which is otherwise only from drivers of Basque origin, he owes the fact that he spent much of his youth in the Basque country and there denied numerous junior race. The following year, his biggest success was a third stage place at the Tour de l' Avenir, a race for young riders. In 2002 and 2003 he participated for the first and second time participating in the Tour de France, but could not finish both sweeps. In 2003 he drew attention to himself in the Basque Country tour by he took second place on the fifth stage and the third in the overall standings. In 2004, he won third place in the overall standings of the Ruta del Sol and twice reached a second stage place in the Basque Country Tour.

2005 drove Samuel Sánchez for the first time the Giro d' Italia and the Vuelta a España. At the Giro was his best stage placing a 14th place on the 14th stage. In the overall standings, he reached the 17th place. In the Vuelta he could win a stage and finished second once. In the overall standings, he reached the tenth. The curious thing about his stage win was that the driver of the lead group mistook the mountain classification with the target line. The Colombian Mauricio Ardila won the sprint to the mountain classification, but Sanchez who recognized that they had been wrong, could take the chance to win the stage at the end.

2006

In 2006, Samuel Sánchez win the points classification of the Paris-Nice and brought his team with his victory in the Basque Country Tour in the home the first win of the 2006 season. During the Vuelta he won a stage and finished the Tour, finishing seventh. In the road world championship, he was as Anfahrer for Alejandro Valverde fourth. In the same year he sat by in the Championship of Zurich, which was played on a very heavy and hilly course. He won single-handedly before Stuart O'Grady. Thanks to this victory, he pushed himself in the Pro Tour standings in 2006 to second place behind compatriot Valverde. At the last race of the season, the Tour of Lombardy, he was number two, proving once again that he is a specialist in hilly one-day classics.

2007

Like last year, Sánchez won a stage of the Tour of the Basque Country in 2007. He secured the third place in the overall standings and second in the points standings. Having won the time trial he proved that he also has good time driving qualities. This he pointed with his victory in the second time trial of the Vuelta a Espana, where he was able to win two more stages in the last week in addition. Both the overall and in the points standings, he reached the third place.

2008

In 2008, Samuel Sánchez could retract his well- biggest success: He won the road race in the men in Beijing during the Olympic Games in 2008 He had previously won a stage of the Vuelta a Asturias.. At the Tour de France, he reached the seventh place in the overall standings and the second on the to L' Alpe d' Huez.

2009

In 2009, Sánchez began again with some good stage placement in the Basque Country Tour. He won the points classification and was third overall. After his entire season planning was aimed at the Vuelta a Espana, where he won second place overall. At the end of the season he once again took fourth place in the streets Championships and second at the Tour of Lombardy. Although he only import one win of the season, he finished the season second in the annual world ranking list.

2010

In spring 2010, Sánchez won the fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country and was later, after the exclusion of Alejandro Valverde, awarded the points jersey. In the 2010 Tour de France he could follow in the mountains halfway only rider Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador, but he lost in the final individual time trial his podium place to Denis Menshov and finished fourth in the overall standings. After Contador was disqualified for doping, he was awarded the 3rd place. In the Tour of Burgos, he won two stages and the overall title.

2011

In March 2011, Samuel Sánchez rode to fifth place overall in the distance Paris- Nice. Later he won the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain before Alexander and Fabian Wegmann Kolobnew. In the Basque Country Tour, he chose the fourth stage of its own.

The Tour de France began Sánchez with a crash on the first stage, by the was divided into two groups the field. He belongs to the second group, the residue crossed the finish line 1:20 minutes. At the second stage, a team time trial, he lost more time. The twelfth stage he finished second after he opened on the descent of the Col de Tourmalet to a chase group to Ruben Perez Moreno his teammates. On the last climb he shook according to Luz Ardiden his companion until Jelle Vanendert, from and reconditioned together with this the last two outliers Jeremy Roy and Geraint Thomas. Sánchez forced the pace, distanced Vanendert and Schleck and won as the second driver for the team Euskaltel ten years after Roberto Laiseka in Luz Ardiden. He also took over the polka-dot jersey for the best climber. On the second Pyrenean Mountain arrival, he was second behind stage Vanendert. In the first two Alpine stages, the 16th and the 17th stage, he reached in cooperation with the defending champion Alberto Contador of each on the last run and was able to remove the favorites time. He lost so reached fourth place in the overall standings but on the anniversary stage to Galibier, since he lost the connection to the final climb and forfeited a lot of time. On the last mountain stage to Alpe d' Huez, he went on the final climb to the persecution of the previously torn Contador, overtook him, but could not counter an attack of the later winner Pierre Rolland days. He was second day, thus securing the mountains classification in the Tour de France 2011. During 42 km long individual time trial in Grenoble ( 20th stage ) he achieved seventh place. He was sixth in the overall standings.

2012

In the spring of Samuel Sánchez won a stage of the Tour of Catalonia and was second in the overall standings. The following Basque Country Tour he could decide for himself where he also drove out the sixth and seventh stage victory in this race for the first time. During the eighth stage of the Tour de France he crashed and had to retire hurt the race.

Achievements

• Escalada a Montjuïc

• A stage in the Vuelta a España
• Escalada a Montjuïc

• Championship of Zurich
• A stage in the Vuelta a España
• Two stages Basque Country Tour
• A stage in the Vuelta a Asturias
• UCI ProTour

• A stage Basque Country Tour
• A stage Tour of Catalonia
• Three stages Vuelta a España

• Olympic gold medalist in the road race

• GP Llodio

• A stage Basque Country Tour
• Klasika Primavera
• Burgos - tour and two stages

• GP Miguel Indurain
• A stage Basque Country Tour
• A stage and mountain Classification Tour de France
• A stage Burgos Tour

• A stage Tour of Catalonia
• Basque Country Tour and two stages

• Critérium du Dauphiné stage a

Rankings in the Grand Tours

Legend:

• WD: withdrawal, the driver has the tour canceled after a stage