Sanchez ready for Tour de France after taking Spanish time trial title

The season did not start well for Luis Leon Sanchez, but the Rabobank rider thinks he has finally turned the corner after winning in the Spanish national time trial, just a week before the Tour de France.

It was Sanchez' third national time trial title, after winning in 2008 and 2010. It was also his first success of the year. Sanchez signed with Rabobank this year after spending the seven previous years of his career with Spanish teams.

"Above all, I am very happy because the start of the season has been a bit difficult for me, with a new team and colleagues, more difficult than I thought. I've done the Dauphine and I've focused for nearly a month on training at altitude, and it seems things are on track. Now we have to keep working and doing things right," he said, according to biciciclismo.com.

The 27-year-old is now heading into his fifth Tour de France, and know his role in the biggest race of the season. “It's a crucial moment for the team because the Tour is very important. We have a clear leader with Gesink and we'll try to stay close to Contador. We know that winning is difficult and Contador is the favourite, but we will be close to him," Sanchez said.