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Sánchez wants Tour glory after close-call season
Reigning Olympic champion Samuel Sánchez bet everything in 2009 on being the best at the end of the season.
The Spanish attacker came close to pulling off some major victories, with second overall at the Vuelta a España, fourth at the world championships and second at the Giro di Lombardia.
By any measure, those are impressive results, but for a rider used to winning, close calls just weren’t good enough. In fact, his lone victory in 2009 showing off the Olympic rings was the GP Llodio.
“My results were good, very good at certain moments, including the world championships, but it would have been OK to have won a few more races,” Sánchez told the Spanish daily MARCA. “I didn’t obtain the victories that I hoped for, but I am satisfied with my performance because I raced with the best.”
Sánchez, 31, now rolls into the off-season keen to recover and reset his sights for the upcoming campaign.
After skipping this year’s Tour de France to prepare exclusively for the worlds course in Mendrisio that was perfectly tailored to his characteristics, Sánchez will return to the Tour in 2010.
“I already have it clear – the Tour and only the Tour, because one grand tour ridden well is enough, but the team wants me to have two peaks of form,” Sánchez said, suggesting that the Vuelta al País Vasco and the Ardennes classics are the obvious choice for early-season goals.
Sixth in 2008, Sánchez believes he can do well enough in the Tour to be a protagonist.
“I really like the Tour route in 2010. The last week is very difficult, which is when I am usually at my best,” he said. “I’d love to finish on the podium and win a stage. I know it’s very complicated, because all the best will be there – Alberto, Andy, Armstrong, Evans, Alejandro and others – but I also know I can be on the same level.”
Sánchez remains the bulwark at the refitted Euskaltel-Euskadi team, which was racked with two damaging doping scandals involving Iñigo Landaluze and Tour stage-winner Mikel Astarloza.
Euskaltel-Euskadi for 2010
Staying from this year’s squad: Igor Antón, Javier Aramendia, Jorge Azanza, Sergio de Lis, Koldo Fernández de Larrea, Aitor Galdos, Aitor Hernández, Iñaki Isasi, Egoi Martínez, Mikel Nieve, Juanjo Oroz, Alan Pérez, Rubén Pérez, Samuel Sánchez, Amets Txurruka, Pablo Urtasun, Iván Velasco, Gorka Verdugo
New: Jonathan Castroviejo, Miguel Mínguez, Daniel Sesma and Romain Sicard (Orbea), Beñat Intxausti (Fuji-Servetto), Gorka Izagirre (Contentpolis-AMPO)
Leaving: Josu Agirre, Mikel Astarloza, Markel Irizar, Andoni Lafuente and Iñigo Landaluze
