Samuel Sánchez
Encyclopedia
Samuel Sánchez González (born February 5, 1978 in Oviedo
, Asturias
) is a Spanish
professional road bicycle racer. He was the gold medal winner in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men's Road Race. 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 descenders in the peloton
.
team Euskaltel-Euskadi
and still rides there today.
. 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.
. Sánchez won two stages in the Tour of the Basque Country. He finished 4th overall in Paris-Nice, winning the points jersey in the process. 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 Austria
n 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
. Two weeks later he finished second in the Giro di Lombardia, and secured his second place in the final UCI ProTour
classification.
, 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. He also won the last mountain stage up to Alto de Abantos and the last time trial, allowing him to move into 3rd overall. This meant he became the first rider of Euskaltel-Euskadi
to achieve a podium in a Grand Tour
.
On August 9, 2008, Sánchez won the men's Olympic road race in 90% humidity
and smog
, a race that ran twice each lap through stone gates in The Great Wall of China. About a quarter of the way through the race, a breakaway group of 26 riders ahead of the peloton
were the first viable group to have a chance of winning the race, but Sánchez was not among them.
Sánchez and his Spanish teammates, along with strong help from the Italians and Russians, drove the peloton at a tough pace to catch the group of 20 or so remaining members of the breakaway; and, with 20 km to go, Sánchez and a group of two others escaped ahead and were only caught when Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara
, Russian Alexander Kolobnev and Australian Michael Rogers latched onto the group with only a few kilometres left. At the sprint finish of six men, after an uphill section that ran through a gate in The Great Wall one last time, Sánchez finished a wheel ahead of Italy's Davide Rebellin
to take gold, with Cancellara taking the bronze.
in the Vuelta a España
, his second podium finish in the event.
where he finished 4th overall (after losing out on a podium place to Denis Menchov
in the final time trial).
, but a series of crashes in the first week saw him well down the classification as the race entered the Pyrenees. On Stage 12, the first summit Finnish of the Tour, Sánchez attacked the GC contenders on the final climb, to win the stage and gain back some time. The revised scoring system for the King of the Mountains
competition also meant that Sánchez took the polka dot jersey. However, Jeremy Roy
took the jersey the next day. On Stage 14, the next summit finish, Sánchez again attacked the GC contenders, and finished second on the stage to move up to sixth overall. He moved up to fifth on Stage 16, as he, Cadel Evans
and Alberto Contador
took time out of the other favorites on the descent into Gap. However on Stage 18, Sánchez lost time on the Col du Galibier
and dropped to 8th overall. On the following stage though, he and Contador attacked on Alpe d'Huez
, with Sánchez finishing second to Pierre Rolland. This result moved him up to 7th overall, and meant he had effectively King of the Mountains competition as there were no climbs remaining in the Tour. Sánchez moved ahead of Damiano Cunego
in the final Time Trial to finish the Tour 6th overall, and winner of the Polka Dot Jersey.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
WD = withdrew
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
, Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
) is a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
professional road bicycle racer. He was the gold medal winner in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men's Road Race. 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 descenders in the peloton
Peloton
The peloton , field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close near other riders...
.
Career
He started his professional career in 2000 at the SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
team Euskaltel-Euskadi
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Euskaltel-Euskadi is a professional road bicycle racing team from Spain. The team is commercially sponsored, but also works as an unofficial Basque national team and is partly funded by the Basque Government. Its riders are either from Basque Country, or at least have grown up in the cycling...
and still rides there today.
Early career
In 2003, Sánchez finished 6th in Liège–Bastogne–Liège and third overall in the Tour of the Basque Country. The following year, he came 4th in Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and came 15th overall in his first Vuelta a España2004 Vuelta a España
The 59th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 4 to September 26, 2004...
. 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
Roberto Heras
Roberto Heras Hernández is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court...
was erased from the results for doping use, Sánchez shifted up to the 10th place.
2006
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 WallonneLa Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne is a major men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Belgium.The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège...
. Sánchez won two stages in the Tour of the Basque Country. He finished 4th overall in Paris-Nice, winning the points jersey in the process. 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 Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n city of Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
Sánchez played a major part by creating the decisive break in the final kilometer for his leader Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
. Sánchez himself finished 4th behind Paolo Bettini
Paolo Bettini
Paolo Bettini is an Italian former champion road racing cyclist, and the coach of the Italian national cycling team. Considered the best classics specialist of his generation, and probably one of the strongest of all times, he won gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics road race and in the 2006...
, Erik Zabel
Erik Zabel
Erik Zabel is a former German professional road bicycle racer who last raced with Milram. With over 200 professional wins he is considered by some one of the greatest German cyclists and best cycling sprinters of history...
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
Stuart O'Grady
Stuart O'Grady OAM , nicknamed Stuey, is an Australian professional road bicycle racer on UCI ProTeam , who started as a track cyclist. He and Graeme Brown won a gold medal in Men's Madison at the 2004 Summer Olympics...
and Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin is an Italian road bicycle racer, currently riding for the Italian Miche-Guerciotti team. He served a 2-year suspension for testing positive for Mircera at the 2008 Olympic Games...
. Two weeks later he finished second in the Giro di Lombardia, and secured his second place in the final UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
classification.
2007
The next season Sánchez started with a 9th place in Paris–Nice and he won the final time trial in the Vuelta al País Vasco2007 Vuelta al País Vasco
The 2007 Vuelta al País Vasco was the 47th edition of the Vuelta al País Vasco road cycling stage race, taking place from April 9 to April 14. It was won by Juan José Cobo of the Saunier Duval-Prodir cycling team.-Stage 1, April 9, Urretxu–Urretxu, 139 km:...
, finishing third in the final classification. After a winless classics season Sánchez won the final stage in the Volta a Catalunya
2007 Volta a Catalunya
The 2007 Volta a Catalunya road cycling race took place from May 21 to May 27, 2007, in Catalonia. It began in Salou with a team time trial and ends in Barcelona. The race was won by Russian Vladimir Karpets of the team, who won the race thanks to winning the team time trial, and second placings...
. In the Vuelta a España
2007 Vuelta a España
The 2007 Vuelta a España, the sixty-second edition of the cycle race, took place from September 1 until September 23, 2007. For the first time in a decade, the race started in the region of Galicia, at Vigo, home to Óscar Pereiro, with a flat stage...
he won the 15th stage ahead of Manuel Beltrán
Manuel Beltrán
Manuel Beltrán Martinez is a professional road bicycle racer from Spain. Beltrán won his first professional race at the 1997 Giro d'Italia, winning stage 19. His finishes in the Tour de France are somewhat misleading as he was a lieutenant for his team leader...
, after attacking in Alto de Monachil, showing his fast downhilling skills to catch Beltrán in the descent to Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
. 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. He also won the last mountain stage up to Alto de Abantos and the last time trial, allowing him to move into 3rd overall. This meant he became the first rider of Euskaltel-Euskadi
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Euskaltel-Euskadi is a professional road bicycle racing team from Spain. The team is commercially sponsored, but also works as an unofficial Basque national team and is partly funded by the Basque Government. Its riders are either from Basque Country, or at least have grown up in the cycling...
to achieve a podium in a Grand Tour
Grand Tour (cycling)
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
.
2008 Olympic Men's Road Race
On August 9, 2008, Sánchez won the men's Olympic road race in 90% humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
and smog
Smog
Smog is a type of air pollution; the word "smog" is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. Modern smog is a type of air pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes that react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine...
, a race that ran twice each lap through stone gates in The Great Wall of China. About a quarter of the way through the race, a breakaway group of 26 riders ahead of the peloton
Peloton
The peloton , field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close near other riders...
were the first viable group to have a chance of winning the race, but Sánchez was not among them.
Sánchez and his Spanish teammates, along with strong help from the Italians and Russians, drove the peloton at a tough pace to catch the group of 20 or so remaining members of the breakaway; and, with 20 km to go, Sánchez and a group of two others escaped ahead and were only caught when Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . A time trial specialist, he is a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist...
, Russian Alexander Kolobnev and Australian Michael Rogers latched onto the group with only a few kilometres left. At the sprint finish of six men, after an uphill section that ran through a gate in The Great Wall one last time, Sánchez finished a wheel ahead of Italy's Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin is an Italian road bicycle racer, currently riding for the Italian Miche-Guerciotti team. He served a 2-year suspension for testing positive for Mircera at the 2008 Olympic Games...
to take gold, with Cancellara taking the bronze.
2009
Sánchez's won the GP Llodio. He came third overall in the Tour of the Basque Country, winning the Points Classification. Sánchez came second in the Giro di Lombardia, before also finishing second to Alejandro ValverdeAlejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
in the Vuelta a España
2009 Vuelta a España
The 2009 Vuelta a España was the 64th Vuelta a España. The event took place from 29 August to 20 September 2009. For only the second time in the race's history, it began away from Spanish soil, with the race not in fact reaching Spain until Stage 5....
, his second podium finish in the event.
2010
Sánchez came first overall in the Vuelta a Burgos, as well as winning two stages and the Points Classification in the event. He also won the Tour of the Basque Country (winning the Points Classification for that event as well). Sánchez carried his good form into the Tour de France2010 Tour de France
The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996...
where he finished 4th overall (after losing out on a podium place to Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
in the final time trial).
2011
Sánchez was among the favorites heading into the 2011 Tour de France2011 Tour de France
-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
, but a series of crashes in the first week saw him well down the classification as the race entered the Pyrenees. On Stage 12, the first summit Finnish of the Tour, Sánchez attacked the GC contenders on the final climb, to win the stage and gain back some time. The revised scoring system for the King of the Mountains
King of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
competition also meant that Sánchez took the polka dot jersey. However, Jeremy Roy
Jérémy Roy
Jérémy Roy is a French professional road bicycle racer for UCI Professional Continental team . He was named the most aggressive rider of the 2011 Tour de France after escaping into breakaways on many stages and continuiously attacking from inside the breakaway.-Biography:Roy turned professional...
took the jersey the next day. On Stage 14, the next summit finish, Sánchez again attacked the GC contenders, and finished second on the stage to move up to sixth overall. He moved up to fifth on Stage 16, as he, Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
and Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
took time out of the other favorites on the descent into Gap. However on Stage 18, Sánchez lost time on the Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the ninth highest paved road in the Alps and the sixth highest mountain pass. It is often the highest point of the Tour de France....
and dropped to 8th overall. On the following stage though, he and Contador attacked on Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez
L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
, with Sánchez finishing second to Pierre Rolland. This result moved him up to 7th overall, and meant he had effectively King of the Mountains competition as there were no climbs remaining in the Tour. Sánchez moved ahead of Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Italian UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins are the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, and the Giro di Lombardia in 2004, 2007, 2008. He finished second in the UCI Road World Championships in 2008 and in the...
in the final Time Trial to finish the Tour 6th overall, and winner of the Polka Dot Jersey.
Palmares
2003- 2nd Overall Tour du Haut VarTour du Haut VarThe Tour du Haut Var is an early-season two-day road bicycle race in the Provence region of France. From 2005 to 2008, it was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2009, the race was changed to a two-day 2.1 event.-Palmarès:...
- 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 6th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
2004
- 1st Escalada a MontjuïcEscalada a MontjuïcThe Escalada a Montjuïc is a one-day, two-stage road bicycle racing race held in Barcelona, Spain since 1965. It is held in the middle of October, as one of the final races in the European season. Since 2005, it is organised as a 1.2 category race as a part of the UCI Europe Tour...
- 4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
2005
- 1st Escalada a MontjuïcEscalada a MontjuïcThe Escalada a Montjuïc is a one-day, two-stage road bicycle racing race held in Barcelona, Spain since 1965. It is held in the middle of October, as one of the final races in the European season. Since 2005, it is organised as a 1.2 category race as a part of the UCI Europe Tour...
- 10th Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 13
2006
- 1st Stage 2 Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stage 3 Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Züri-Metzgete
- 1st Stage 3 Vuelta a AsturiasVuelta a AsturiasVuelta a Asturias is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in early May each year. The event was first run in 1925 but has not been held consistently until 1968 to present. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...
- 2nd Giro di Lombardia
- 2nd La Flèche Wallonne
- 4th Road World Championships
- 4th Overall Paris–Nice
- 1st
Points Classification
- 1st
- 7th Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 13
2007
- 1st Stage 7 Volta a Catalunya2007 Volta a CatalunyaThe 2007 Volta a Catalunya road cycling race took place from May 21 to May 27, 2007, in Catalonia. It began in Salou with a team time trial and ends in Barcelona. The race was won by Russian Vladimir Karpets of the team, who won the race thanks to winning the team time trial, and second placings...
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a España2007 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2007 Vuelta a España, the sixty-second edition of the cycle race, took place from September 1 until September 23, 2007. For the first time in a decade, the race started in the region of Galicia, at Vigo, home to Óscar Pereiro, with a flat stage...
- 1st Stage 15
- 1st Stage 19
- 1st Stage 20 (ITT)
- 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stage 6
- 3rd Giro di Lombardia2007 Giro di LombardiaThe 2007 Giro di Lombardia is the 101st edition of this single day road bicycle racing monument race. The 242 km event took place on October 14, 2007 and was won by Damiano Cunego, the Italian rider for Lampre-Fondital in 5 hours, 52 minutes 48 seconds at an average speed of 41.16 km/h.-...
2008
- 1st
Olympics Men's Road Race - 1st Stage 2b Vuelta a AsturiasVuelta a AsturiasVuelta a Asturias is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in early May each year. The event was first run in 1925 but has not been held consistently until 1968 to present. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...
- 6th Overall Tour de France2008 Tour de FranceThe 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
2009
- 1st GP Llodio
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a España2009 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2009 Vuelta a España was the 64th Vuelta a España. The event took place from 29 August to 20 September 2009. For only the second time in the race's history, it began away from Spanish soil, with the race not in fact reaching Spain until Stage 5....
- 2nd Giro di Lombardia2009 Giro di LombardiaThe 2009 Giro di Lombardia was the 103rd edition of this single day road bicycle racing monument race, colloquially known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves". The event was scheduled for the 17 October 2009. It was the final event of the 2009 UCI World Ranking and the final major event of the 2009...
- 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Points Classification
- 1st
- 4th La Flèche Wallonne2009 La Flèche WallonneThe 2009 La Flèche Wallonne cycling race took place on 22 April 2009. It was the 73rd running of the La Flèche Wallonne between Charleroi and Huy in Belgium....
- 4th Road World Championships
2010
- 1st Klasika PrimaveraKlasika PrimaveraThe Klasika Primavera is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Amorebieta, Spain. Since 2005, the race is organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a BurgosVuelta a BurgosVuelta Ciclista a Burgos is an elite men's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in the Burgos province of Spain. Since 2005, Vuelta a Burgos has been a multi-day stage race as part of the UCI Europe Tour.-Palmarés:...
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Stage 5
- 1st Points Classification
- 1st Stage 4 Tour of the Basque Country2010 Tour of the Basque CountryThe 2010 Tour of the Basque Country, was the 50th edition of the Tour of the Basque Country cycling stage race. It started on 5 April and ended on 10 April. Chris Horner won the race 7 seconds ahead of Alejandro Valverde after winning the sixth and final stage which was an individual time trial 8...
- 1st
Points Classification
- 1st
- 4th Overall Tour de France2010 Tour de FranceThe 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996...
- 4th Overall Paris–Nice2010 Paris–NiceThe 2010 Paris–Nice was the 68th running of the Paris–Nice cycling stage race, often known as the Race to the Sun. It started on 7 March and ended on 14 March in Nice and consisted of a prologue time-trial and seven stages. Alberto Contador of Spain won the race, regaining the title he had won in...
- 6th Giro di Lombardia
- 9th Clásica de San SebastiánClásica de San SebastiánThe Donostia-Donostia Klasikoa - Clásica San Sebastián-San Sebastián is a cycle race that has been held every summer since 1981 in San Sebastián, Spain...
- 3rd Criterium Chihuahua
2011
- 1st GP Miguel IndurainGP Miguel IndurainThe Grand Prix Miguel Indurain is a Spanish one-day road bicycle race. The race was inaugurated in 1951, but was limited to local competition. It was rebranded after the Spanish cyclist in 1998. In 2005, the race was upgraded to a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. For 2007 and 2008 the race was...
- 3rd La Flèche Wallonne2011 La Flèche WallonneThe 2011 La Flèche Wallonne was the 75th running of La Flèche Wallonne, a single-day cycling race. It was held on 20 April 2011 over a distance of between Charleroi and Huy in Belgium, and was the eleventh race of the 2011 UCI World Tour season....
- 5th Overall Paris–Nice2011 Paris–NiceThe 2011 Paris–Nice was the 69th running of the Paris–Nice cycling stage race, often known as the Race to the Sun. It started on 6 March in Houdan and ended on 13 March in Nice and consisted of eight stages, including a time trial...
- 6th Overall Tour de France2011 Tour de France-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
- 1st
Mountains Classification - 1st Stage 12
- 1st
- 6th Overall Tour of the Basque Country2011 Tour of the Basque CountryThe 2011 Tour of the Basque Country, was the 51st running of the Tour of the Basque Country cycling stage race. It started on 4 April in Zumarraga and ended on 9 April in Zalla and consisted of six stages, including a race-concluding individual time trial...
- 1st Stage 4
- 4th Overall Vuelta a Burgos2011 Vuelta a BurgosThe 2011 Vuelta a Burgos was the 33rd edition of the Vuelta a Burgos, an annual bicycle race which tours the province of Burgos. Beginning in Villarcayo on 3 August, it concluded at the Lagunas de Neila on 7 August. The 646.6 km long stage race was part of the 2010–2011 UCI Europe Tour, and...
- 1st Stage 1
Grand Tour General Classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
- | - | - | 17 2005 Giro d'Italia The 2005 Giro d'Italia, the 88th running of the race, was held from 7 May to 29 May 2005, consisting of 21 stages for a total of 3,417 km, ridden at an average speed of 37,375 km/h... |
- | - | - | - | - | - |
Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... |
WD 2002 Tour de France The 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps... |
WD 2003 Tour de France The 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages... |
- | - | - | - | 6 2008 Tour de France The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage... |
- | 4 2010 Tour de France The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996... |
6 2011 Tour de France -Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in... |
 Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
- | - | 15 2004 Vuelta a España The 59th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 4 to September 26, 2004... |
10 | 7 | 3 2007 Vuelta a España The 2007 Vuelta a España, the sixty-second edition of the cycle race, took place from September 1 until September 23, 2007. For the first time in a decade, the race started in the region of Galicia, at Vigo, home to Óscar Pereiro, with a flat stage... |
- | 2 2009 Vuelta a España The 2009 Vuelta a España was the 64th Vuelta a España. The event took place from 29 August to 20 September 2009. For only the second time in the race's history, it began away from Spanish soil, with the race not in fact reaching Spain until Stage 5.... |
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WD = withdrew