LUZ ARDIDEN, France, July 14, 2011 (AFP) - Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez of Euskaltel claimed his maiden Tour de France stage victory on the 211km 12th stage from Cugnaux to Luz Ardiden on Thursday. Frenchman Thomas Voeckler, of Europcar, upset the formbook to retain the race leader's yellow jersey after the first of three consecutive days in the Pyrenees. On the first high mountain … [Read more...]
Contador Loses Even More Time As Sanchez Wins 12th Stage
July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Written by Justin Davis (AFP) LUZ ARDIDEN, France, July 14, 2011 - Embattled champion Alberto Contador lost more time to his key yellow jersey rivals on Thursday as Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez claimed his maiden win in the Tour de France. Spaniard Sanchez came over the finish line of the 211km 12th stage ahead of Belgian Jelle Vanendert after attacking the Omega-Pharma rider … [Read more...]
Sanchez Sets Sights On Basque Stage Win In Pyrenees
July 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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 … [Read more...]
Olympic Champion Sanchez Heads Euskatel Tour Campaign
June 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
MADRID, June 21, 2011 (AFP) - Spain's 2008 road race Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez will attempt to improve on last year's fourth placing in the Tour de France when he leads the Euskatel team in this year's renewal, which runs from July 2-24. The 33-year-old has never won a major Tour - though he has won five stages on the Tour of Spain - but the team's director Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano … [Read more...]
Sanchez Wins Basque Tour Stage 4, Rodriguez Barely Keeps Lead
April 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
MADRID, April 7, 2011 (AFP) - Euskaltel's Samuel Sanchez timed a final sprint to perfection to win the hilly fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country on Thursday. Sanchez, the reigning Olympic road race champion, finished just ahead of German Andreas Kloden in the 179km race from Amurrio to Eibar after a number of attacks came and went in the last kilometres of the final … [Read more...]
Schleck, Menchov, Sanchez Take Starring Role At Ruta del Sol
February 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, Russian Denis Menchov, and Spain's Samuel Sanchez will be the three favorites for the 57th edition of the Cycling Tour of Andalucia, the Ruta del Sol, Sunday to Thursday. Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek), second the last two years at the Tour de France, continues his preparation for the 2011 Tour in Spain, just days after the Week of Majorca in the Balearic Islands. … [Read more...]
Freire To Lead Spain Team For World Championships
September 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Spain will send a 10-member team to the UCI Road World Championships in Australia next month led by three-time world champion Oscar Freire, the coach announced Thursday. Spain, which heads the UCI world standings, can also count on 32-year-old Olympic Road Race champion Samuel Sanchez, the coach, Jose Luis de Santos, said in a statement. Sanchez, who was injured in a crash in the final … [Read more...]
Contador Absence Leaves Tour of Spain Wide Open
August 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Written by: Denholm Barnetson MADRID - The third and final Grand Tour of the season gets underway in Spain on Saturday, with several leading riders eying their chances amid the absence of the world's top road racer Alberto Contador. Three-time Tour de France winner Contador is skipping his home Tour, which he won in 2008, after a hard-fought victory in France in July. He joins … [Read more...]
Sanchez Adds Win At Tour of Burgos To Resume
August 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Spain's Samuel Sanchez of the Euskaltel-Euskadi team won the Tour of Burgos in northern Spain on Sunday after sprinting to victory in the fifth and final stage. The Olympic road race champion, who finished fourth in the Tour de France, beat compatriot Ezequiel Mosquera by one second after the 155km ride from Areniscas de los Pinares to Lagunas de Neila. Mosquera was also second … [Read more...]
Sanchez Sprints To Classic Victory
July 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment
MADRID - Spain's Luis Leon Sanchez claimed the first classic success of his career when he sprinted to victory in the San Sebastian Classic on Saturday. In the absence of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, the Spanish crowd had been pinning their hopes on Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez, who finished fourth in France. But it was Caisse d'Epargne rider Sanchez, who finished 11th … [Read more...]