LAVAUR, France, July 13, 2011 (AFP) – Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez says
he is hoping to put his disappointing start to the Tour de France behind him
with a stage victory in the Basque stronghold of the Pyrenees.

Just over a year ago, Sanchez upset the form book to finish fourth overall
in Paris behind compatriot Alberto Contador, Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck and
Russian Denis Menchov.

After losing 1min 20sec on the first stage of the current race, when a
crash caused a split in the peloton and also delayed Contador, Sanchez is now
over two and a half minutes behind the likes of Schleck and Australian Cadel
Evans.

Sanchez, the Olympic road race champion in Beijing in 2008, now admits he
will have to “keep chipping away” at his deficit in the remaining stages if he
is to have any chance of a podium place.

Before then he is hoping to bag a stage win that would help boost the
team’s flagging morale after key team-mates Amets Txurruka and Ivan Velasco
were lost to injury during the crash-marred first nine stages.

“The start of the Tour hasn’t been as positive as I’d hoped,” Sanchez said
before the start of Wednesday’s 11th stage to Lavaur.

“On the first stage I lost 1:20. Now I’m two and a half minutes behind my
rivals and definitely the worst GC (general classification) guy.

“But there’s still a long way to go. Little by little maybe I can fight my
way back, but right now my biggest aim is a stage win.”

When the Tour heads into the mountains, fans from countries worldwide flock
to line the route of the climbs, especially the final climb when it is a
mountaintop finish.

In the Pyrenees, the predominant Basques see it as just another reason to
party, and turn up in their thousands wearing their traditional orange
T-shirts and carrying signs of ‘Aupa!’ (Go for it!) to encourage their idols.

Thursday’s 12th stage is the first of three in a row in the Pyreenes, and
could stage a first battle between reigning champion Alberto Contador and
Schleck, who has a 1:30 lead on the Spaniard.

“On the first stage in the Pyrenees there will be a big selection between
the GC guys,” said Sanchez, who nevertheless believes the third week in the
Alps will really decide the race.

In the meantime, he is dreaming of giving the Basques something to shout
about.

“The roads will be full of orange T-shirts, so if I could win a stage in
the Pyrenees it would be huge,” he added.

“Winning a stage is really important. If stays with you for the rest of
your life.

“But if I had to choose between a stage win and the podium in Paris, I’d
choose the podium.”