Samuel Sanchez life and biography

Samuel Sanchez started his professional career in 2000 at the Basque team Euskaltel-Euskadi and still rides there today. He is highly unusual in being a non-Basque member of the team.

In recent years Sanchez has proven himself in hilly classics and stage races as one of the most important riders in the peloton, he’s also known as one of the best downhillers in the peloton. He recorded his first major victory in 2005 when he won the 13th stage in the Vuelta a Espana, finishing 11th in the general classification, after winner Roberto Heras was erased from the results for doping use, Sanchez shifted up to the 10th place.

In 2006 the Asturian added two stage wins in the Vuelta al Pa­ys Vasco and a second place on the steep finishing climb of the Belgian spring classic La Flache Wallonne. In the Vuelta a Espana he won the 13th stage (just like the year before) with a daring attack in a downhill section and finished 7th in the general classification. At the World Championships in the Austrian city of Salzburg Sanchez played a major part by creating the decisive break in the final kilometer for his leader Alejandro Valverde, Sanchez himself finished 4th behind Paolo Bettini, Erik Zabel and Valverde. One week later he won the Metzgete, his first classic. With 12 km to go he attacked to solo into Zurich with half a minute to spare over Stuart O’Grady and Davide Rebellin. Two weeks later he finished second in the Giro di Lombardia, and secured his second place in the final UCI ProTour classification.

The next season Sanchez started with a 9th place in Paris-Nice and he won the final time trial in the Vuelta al Pay­s Vasco, finishing third in the final classification. After a winless classics season Sanchez won the final stage in the Volta a Catalunya. In the Vuelta he won the 15th stage ahead of Manuel Beltran after attacking in Alto de Monachil, showing his fast downhilling skills to catch Beltran in the descent to Granada. Beltran asked Samuel to let him win, but the Euskaltel rider denied him such satisfaction because he wanted to dedicate this win to his son, expected to be born in March 2008. Sanchez won some meters and reached the finish line excited as if holding a baby in his arms. He also won the last mountain stage up to Alto de Abantos and the last time trial, allowing him to move up onto the podium. He became the first rider of Euskaltel-Euskadi to achieve a podium in a Grand Tour

PAST RESULTS

* 2004
o 4or na puestu classical Liege- Bastogne- Liege
o Two stages of Climbing Montjuic
o Escalada Montjuic (- classification xeneral -)
o 15or na puestu xeneral classification Tour of Spain
o 2or na puestu xeneral classification Vuelta a Asturias

* 2005
o 17or na puestu xeneral classification Giro d' Italia
o 5or puestu nel Gran Premiu of Zurich
o 10or na puestu San Sebastian Classic
o One stage of the Tour of Spain
o 10or na puestu xeneral classification of the Tour of Spain
o One stage of the climbing Montjuic
o Escalada Montjuic (- classification xeneral -)

* 2006
o 2 stages Back to the Basque Country
o 2or na puestu classical Fleche Wallonne
o Victoria d' Cangues stage d' Onís - Gijón of the Tour of Asturias
o Victoria d' stage Guadalajara - Cuenca the Tour of Spain
o 8or na puestu xeneral classification of the Tour of Spain
o 4or nel puestu Campeonatu of Mundu celebráu in Salzburguer
o nel Victoria Campeonatu Zurich
o nel Victoria Criterium de l' Association of Professional Cyclists
o 2or na puestu xeneral classification of the Tour of Lombardy
o 2or na puestu UCI Pro -Tour qualifying

* 2007
o 1 stage Back to the Basque Country
o 1 stage Volta a Catalunya
o Victoria d' stage Villacarrillo - Granada of the Tour of Spain
o Victoria stage d' Avila - Altué d' Abantos of the Tour of Spain
o Victoria Collado Villalba d' stage - Collado Villalba ( CRI) of the Tour of Spain
o 3or na puestu xeneral classification of the Tour of Spain
o 7or nel puestu celebráu in Campeonatu of Mundu Stuttgart

* 2008
o nel Victoria segundu CRI sector of the second stage of the Tour of Asturias
o 2or na puestu important stage of the Tour de France, with final n 'Alpe d' Huez
o 7or na puestu xeneral classification of the Tour de France
o Medal test d' oru na Xuegos route in Olympic celebraos Beijing
o 6or na puestu test against individual hourglass Xuegos Beijing

* 2009
o Gran Premiu de Llodio
o 2or na puestu xeneral classification of the Tour of Spain
o 4or nel mundu puestu campeonatu of en-route

* 2010
o 1 stage Vascular Country Back
o Spring Classic
o 2or na puestu eighth stage of the Tour de France
o 3or na puestu thirteenth stage of the Tour de France

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