Samuel Sanchez has signed a contract extension with Euskaltel-Euskadi that will keep him at the team for another two seasons. The Olympic champion’s fine fourth place at the Tour de France attracted interest from a number of other teams, including Vacansoleil, but he has committed himself to the Basque outfit until the end of 2012.
“Euskaltel-Euskadi has been my team for all my career and to be honest I never imagined myself in another jersey, even though I had some very good offers,” Sanchez said. “I’m very happy to continue in the same set-up that gave me the opportunity to be a professional, I feel very emotionally attached to this project.”
Sanchez has been at the team since he turned professional in 2000, and rode as an amateur in the Basque country for three years before that. “I’m proud to wear this jersey,” Sanchez explained. “We’re hoping for two very intense years competing at the highest level of world cycling.”
Team manager Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano was pleased to keep a hold of the man he labelled the “flagship of a unique cycling project.” Sanchez has been a hugely consistent performer in recent seasons, and has brought Euskaltel-Euskadi some of its biggest results, including two podium finishes at the Vuelta a Espana and fourth place at this year's Tour de France.
“Samuel has a recognised value and staying with Euskaltel-Euskadi brings us a very big international image,” de Galdeano said. “It’s the best news that we could have.”
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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.
