With the withdrawal of defending Spanish time-trial champion Alberto Contador (Astana), last year’s runner-up Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) is seen as the hot favourite for tomorrow’s race. The 2008 champion returned to racing in last week’s Tour de Suisse, not having competed since Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, and feels ready to take his second red and yellow Rojigualda jersey.
“I came out of the Tour of Switzerland being very satisfied,” said Sanchez, “because even if I am not yet at my best level I put in some great work before the start of the Tour de France.”
After almost two months away from racing, and having been hit by a car when out training less than two weeks before the Tour de Suisse, Sanchez felt the pace of the week-long stage race. “The race was a very hard one not only because almost all the best riders of the world were present but also because the weather was very bad,” he said.
“It was cold and rainy almost every day. Those were of course not the best possible conditions to recover from the accident I suffered at the beginning of the month. I nevertheless felt better every day and that means a lot to me”
Looking ahead to this week’s Spanish championship races Sanchez is confident, but also anxious to deflect the tag of outright favourite for the time trial. “It will of course depend on how I recovered after the Tour of Switzerland,” he said, “but it seems that the course, at 36.2 kilometers long, could be a good one for me.
“I know people tell I am the favourite for that race and of course I would like to win again that title after I already get it in 2008. Nevertheless I think several other riders can win tomorrow to start with team-mates Iván Gutiérrez and Rubén Plaza.”
Having finished last year’s race 28 seconds ahead of Plaza and 1’13” ahead of Gutiérrez, Sanchez ought to come out on top again tomorrow. “I am very motivated,” he said, “and on a course designed for powerful riders I shall try to do my best and why not win the gold medal”