Bio

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 España, 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 PaAA­s Vasco and a second place on the steep finishing climb of the Belgian spring classic La Flache 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 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