Samuel Sánchez

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Samuel Sánchez

Personal information
Full name	Samuel Sánchez González
Nickname	Samu
Date of birth	February 5, 1978 (1978-02-05) (age 30)
Country	Spain
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	65 kg (140 lb/10.2 st)
Team information
Current team	Euskaltel-Euskadi
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Professional team(s)
2000–	Euskaltel-Euskadi
Major wins
Vuelta a España, 5 stages Züri-Metzgete (2006)
Infobox last updated on:
September 22, 2007

Samuel Sánchez González (born February 5, 1978 in Oviedo, Asturias) is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, he 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 Sánchez 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 España, finishing 11th in the general classification, after winner Roberto Heras was erased from the results for doping use, Sánchez shifted up to the 10th place.

In 2006 the Asturian added two stage wins in the Vuelta al País Vasco and a second place on the steep finishing climb of the Belgian spring classic La Flèche Wallonne. In the Vuelta a España 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 Sánchez played a major part by creating the decisive break in the final kilometer for his leader Alejandro Valverde, Sánchez himself finished 4th behind Paolo Bettini, Erik Zabel and Valverde. One week later he won Züri-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.^[1] 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 Sánchez started with a 9th place in Paris-Nice and he won the final time trial in the Vuelta al País Vasco, finishing third in the final classification. After a winless classics season Sánchez won the final stage in the Volta a Catalunya. In the Vuelta a España he won the 15th stage ahead of Manuel Beltrán, after attacking in Alto de Monachil, showing his fast downhilling skills to catch Beltrán in the descent to Granada. Beltrán 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. Sánchez won some meters and reached the finish line excited as if holding a baby in his arms.^[2] 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.^[3] He became the first rider of Euskaltel-Euskadi to achieve a podium in a Grand Tour.

[edit] Major Results

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Palmarès at Trap-Friis.dk

[edit] References

v • d • e Riders on Euskaltel-Euskadi Josu Agirre | Beñat Albizuri | Igor Antón | Lander Aperribai | Javier Aramendia | Mikel Astarloza | Jorge Azanza | Jon Bru | Koldo Fernández | Aitor Galdós | Dionisio Galparsoro | Aitor Hernández | Markel Irizar | Iñaki Isasi | Andoni Lafuente | Iñigo Landaluze | Antton Luengo | Egoi Martínez | Juan José Oroz | Alan Pérez | Rubén Pérez | Samuel Sánchez | Amets Txurruka | Iván Velasco | Gorka Verdugo | Haimar Zubeldia | Manager: Miguel Madariaga

Persondata
NAME	Sánchez, Samuel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Sánchez González, Samuel
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH	1978-02-05
PLACE OF BIRTH	Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH