Biography

Samuel Sánchez González (born February 5, 1978 in Oviedo, Asturias) is a Spanish profesional road bicycle racer. He started his professional career in 2000 at the Basque team Euskatel-Euskadi and still rides there today.

His first major victory was in 2005 when he won the 13th stage in the Vuelta a España, finishing 11th in the general classification. He has more achievement, for example in 2006 he added two stage wins in the Vuelta al País Vasco. At the World Championship in Salzburg Sánchez finished 4th. The next season Sánchez started with a 9th place in Paris-Nice and he won the final time trial in the Vuelta al País Vasco. He also won the last mountain stage up to Alto de Abantos and the last time trial, allowing him to move up onto the podium. He became the first rider of Euskaltel-Euskadi to achieve a podium in a Grand Tour.

On August 9, 2008, Sánchez won the men's Olympic road race in 90% humidity and smog, a race that ran twice each lap through stone gates in The Great Wall of China.