Nine days after he withdrew from the Tour de France due to injuries sustained in a crash, 2008 Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez has raised hopes that he might be able to defend his title.
The Spanish rider broke the first bone of his career when he fractured the third metacarpal of his left hand. He also suffered a severe contusion to his left collarbone. However healing has gone well and, after doing some indoor trainer sessions in previous days, he did three hours of training this morning.
The results were reassuring: in addition to the injuries not giving him too much discomfort, his team reports that he felt strong during the 80 kilometre ride. However it said that it’s still too soon to know if he’ll be able to race in London.
“The evolution of lesions on the right and left scapula will determine whether Samuel will compete in the Olympics in London,” it stated. “When the decision becomes final, the cycling team Euskaltel Euskadi will officially make the announcement.”
If he is able to take part, that will soften the blow of having to withdraw from the Tour. He was third in 2010 and last year took both the stage to Luz Ardiden and the King of the Mountains jersey.
“For the first time in a long time I cried, it was a very tough situation,” he said after the crash nine days ago. “I’ve made a lot of sacrifices to get it to this race, and having to leave it like this hurts.”
If things continue to progress, he’ll aim to sweeten his summer with another gold medal.