Four months into the season, Samuel Sanchez ended his Euskaltel Euskadi team’s dubious distinction of being the sole ProTeam without a victory, hitting the line first on Saturday. The Olympic champion was best at the end of the GP Miguel Indurain in Northern Spain, surging ahead in the final kilometre with a superb sprint and beating closest rival Alexandr Kolobnev (Katusha Team) by two seconds.
His final burst of speed saw him eke out a seven second gap over the next six riders, who were led home by Fabian Wegmann (Leopard Trek), Ryder Hesjedal (Team Garmin-Cervélo), Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Movistar Team), Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia) and Caja Rural’s Javier Moreno Bazan.
“We are very happy with this win. It is the first of the year and that is always welcome,” the Olympic champion smiled afterwards. “We've covered a very nice route and I congratulate the organizers because they made a very demanding course but also one which is very exciting for the viewer. There has been a lot of public [interest] and that is the highest award that can be for cyclists, there are many people on the roadsides. It's what we enjoy most in the sport.”
The 180 kilometre race got off to an aggressive start, with plenty of riders trying to go up the road. Eventually four got clear and stayed together until after the third sprint of the day. Sanchez’ team-mate Jorge Azanza went south there, while Peter Stetina (Garmin-Cervélo), Xavier Tondo (Movistar) and Maciej Paterski (Liquigas-Cannondale) continued onwards for a while longer. They were caught inside the final 90 kilometres, with the peloton overtaking them on the Eraul climb.
Next to try were Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel-Euskadi), David Belda Garcia (Burgos 2016 - Castilla y León) and Pablo Lastras Garcia (Movistar Team), who gained a significant gap and enabled Belda to win the mountains competition.
Lastras was first to crack, yielding to cramp with less than 25 kilometres remaining. The others were then caught, and David Arroyo (Movistar) then surged clear. He was unsuccessful, but his effort softened up the field for a counter move by team-mate Vasili Kiryienka. He was clear for seven kilometres, but overhauled with one to go. After that, things played out perfectly for an impressive Sanchez.
“The team did a sensational job, the nine riders were in their place and did an enormous amount of work. There were breaks without representation [from Euskaltel-Euskadi] and after that we got the control back,” he said. “In the finale it was stressful and the outcome was complicated.”
Part of that was due to the strength of his rivals, but he persisited. “Wegman has won a couple of times, Kolovnev is a great racer with many wins. The victory is difficult but we did it and I am very happy.”
His thoughts now turn to the Vuelta a Pais Vasco, his team’s home race. “On Monday the Vuelta a Pais Vasco begins. It is one of the major goals of the year, and we will go there in good condition,” he said. “The preparation work is already done and I am now just trying to squeeze out the most benefit. Pais Vasco is always a very difficult race with great rivals and very hilly routes that do not allow mistakes.”