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Samuel Sanchez is a professional cyclist from Spain who was born February 5, 1978. Sanchez finished the 2006 season ranked number 2 on the UCI ProTour.
Samuel Snchez Gonzlez (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 Snchez has proven himself in hilly classics and stage races as one of the most important riders for his team, 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 Espaa, finishing 11th in the general classification, after winner Roberto Heras was erased from the results for doping use, Snchez shifted up to the 10th place.
In 2006 the Asturian added two stage wins in the Vuelta al Pas Vasco and a second place on the steep finishing climb of the Belgian spring classic La Flche Wallonne. In the Vuelta a Espaa he won the 13th stage (just like the year before) and finished 7th in the general classification. At the World Championships in the Austrian city of Salzburg Snchez played a major part by creating the decisive break in the final kilometer for his leader Alejandro Valverde, Snchez himself finished 4th behind Paolo Bettini, Erik Zabel and Valverde. One week later he won his first classic with the Zri-Metzgete, with 12 kilometers to go he attacked an elite leading group of 5 and reached the finish solo with half a minute advantage. Two weeks later he finished second in the Giro di Lombardia, and secured his second place in the final UCI ProTour classification.
