Samuel Sánchez Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Sánchez and the second or maternal family name is González.

Quick facts for kids
Samuel Sánchez

Samuel Sánchez (2022)

Personal information

Full name

Samuel Sánchez González

Nickname

Samu, Sammy

Born

5 February 1978 (age 47)
Oviedo, Spain

Height

1.81 m (5 ft 111⁄2 in)

Weight

68 kg (150 lb; 10 st 10 lb)

Team information

Current team

Retired

Discipline

Road

Role

Rider

Rider type

All-rounder

Major wins

Grand Tours

Tour de France

Mountains classification (2011)

1 individual stage (2011)

1 TTT stage (2015)

Vuelta a España

5 individual stages (2005, 2006, 2007)

Stage races

Vuelta a Burgos (2010)

Tour of the Basque Country (2012)

One-day races and Classics

Olympic Games Road Race (2008)

Züri-Metzgete (2006)

GP Miguel Induráin (2011)

Samuel "Samu" Sánchez González (born 5 February 1978) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He rode bikes professionally from 2000 to 2017. Samuel Sánchez is famous for winning the gold medal in the road race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was known as a strong all-around rider, especially good at going downhill fast. He often finished in the top spots in big races like the Tour de France and Vuelta a España.

Samuel Sánchez's Cycling Journey
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Samuel Sánchez's Cycling Journey

Starting with Euskaltel–Euskadi (2000–2013)

Samuel Sánchez began his professional cycling career in 2000. He joined a Spanish team called Euskaltel–Euskadi. He stayed with this team for many years, until it closed down in 2013.

Early Years and First Wins

In his early years, Samuel Sánchez showed great promise. In 2003, he finished 6th in a tough race called Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He also came in third overall in the Tour of the Basque Country. The next year, he improved to 4th place in Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

His first big win came in 2005 during the Vuelta a España. He won a stage, which is one day's race within the larger event. He finished 10th overall in that race.

Success in 2006

The year 2006 was very successful for Sánchez. He won two stages in the Tour of the Basque Country. He also finished 2nd in a Belgian race called La Flèche Wallonne. In the Vuelta a España, he won another stage with a brave attack on a downhill section. He ended up 7th overall in that race.

Later that year, he helped his teammate Alejandro Valverde at the World Championships. Sánchez finished 4th himself. A week later, he won Züri-Metzgete, which was his first major one-day race win. He attacked with 12 kilometers to go and rode alone to victory. He finished 2nd in another big race, the Giro di Lombardia, which helped him get 2nd place in the overall UCI ProTour standings.

Great Achievements in 2007

In 2007, Sánchez continued to perform well. He won a stage in the Volta a Catalunya. In the Vuelta a España, he won three stages. One of these wins was very special. He attacked on a mountain and used his amazing downhill skills to win. He dedicated this win to his future son. He also won the last mountain stage and the final time trial. These wins helped him finish 3rd overall in the Vuelta a España. This was a huge achievement, as it was the first time a rider from his team had finished on the podium of a Grand Tour.

Olympic Gold in 2008

Sánchez racing in 2007

In 2008, Samuel Sánchez rode his first full Tour de France and finished 6th overall. But the biggest moment of his career came in August. He won the gold medal in the Olympic road race in Beijing, China. The race was very tough, with high humidity and smog. Sánchez was part of a small group of riders who broke away near the end. In the final sprint, he crossed the finish line just ahead of Italy's Davide Rebellin to win the gold medal.

More Podiums in 2009

In 2009, Sánchez won the Gran Premio de Llodio. He also finished 3rd overall in the Tour of the Basque Country. He had another fantastic performance in the Vuelta a España, finishing 2nd overall. This was his second time on the podium in this major race. He also came 2nd in the Giro di Lombardia, losing a close sprint finish.

Strong Performances in 2010

Sánchez at the 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné

In 2010, Sánchez won the overall title at the Vuelta a Burgos. He also won two stages and the points jersey in that race. He won a stage in the Tour of the Basque Country too. He carried his good form into the Tour de France, where he finished 2nd overall after some changes to the results.

King of the Mountains in 2011

Sanchez wearing the polka dot jersey at the 2011 Tour de France

Sánchez was one of the top riders for the 2011 Tour de France. Even after some crashes early on, he fought back. He won a mountain stage and started to collect points for the King of the Mountains jersey. He kept attacking on the climbs and finished 5th overall in the Tour. He also won the mountains classification, earning the famous polka dot jersey.

Winning the Tour of the Basque Country in 2012

Sanchez at the 2012 Tour de France

In 2012, Sánchez focused on the Tour de France and the Olympic Games. He started the season strongly by winning the Tour of the Basque Country. He won a key mountain stage and the final time trial to take the overall victory. Unfortunately, he crashed during the Tour de France and had to leave the race due to injuries.

A Stage Win in 2013

Sánchez riding behind Chris Froome in 2013

In 2013, Sánchez aimed for the Giro d'Italia, another Grand Tour. He finished 12th overall while still recovering from his previous injuries. Later that year, he won a stage in the Criterium du Dauphiné. This was his only victory that year.

Joining BMC Racing Team (2014–2017)

After his old team closed, Samuel Sánchez found a new home with the BMC Racing Team team in 2014. He continued to ride in major races.

Sanchez at the 2014 Giro d'Italia

In 2014, he helped his teammate Cadel Evans in the Giro d'Italia. He then led his team at the Vuelta a España, where he finished 6th overall. He also came 5th in the Giro di Lombardia.

He continued with BMC in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, he was part of the team that won a team time trial stage at the Tour de France. In 2016, he had some good results, including 4th place in Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

Retirement from Cycling

In 2017, Samuel Sánchez was preparing for the Vuelta a España. However, he was stopped from starting the race because of a problem with a test. The sport's governing body, the UCI, later suspended him for two years. This meant he could not race. Given his age, he decided to retire from professional cycling.