Olympic champion comes to agreement with Basque team
Saturday morning Samuel Sánchez and Euskaltel Euskadi’s general manager, Igor González de Galdeano, negotiated over the last, final details of the two-year contract. Sánchez then signed for the team that he has ridden for since turning professional in 2000.
Sánchez was happy with the deal. “Euskaltel Euskadi is my team of my entire life and honestly, I could not imagine myself with a different jersey, although I had very good offers and I appreciate the interest from other teams, who wanted to count on my service.”
Despite the lucrative offers, Sánchez took one step at a time. “I never rejected an offer. I chose the one I thought was the best for me. It is a great joy to stay with the team that gave me the opportunity to be a professional,” Sánchez said.
Sánchez stays the only rider who is not originally from one of the seven Basque provinces. The rider from Asturias spent a lot of time in the Basque Country in his youth and also raced, which helped him get the special permission to be on the Basque team. “I feel sentimentally attached to this project, which I joined already 14 years ago, including the three years as an amateur.”
The special Basque project was formed under Miguel Madariaga, whom Sánchez specifically thanked. “He gave a lot of his life to make this happen and if I continue to be in this squad it is to a large degree thanks to Miguel.”
He is also happy with the general manager. “I want to thank Igor for the confidence he has shown me in leading this team. I am proud to wear this jersey.”
Now the Spaniard is just focused on the near future. “Two intense years await us, in which we will try to continue to the highest spot in world cycling.”
González de Galdeano was happy in return and called Sánchez “the flagship in a cycling project that is unique, which we all can enjoy and with Samuel Sánchez on the team it will be easier to achieve our goals.”
González de Galdeano called it important that Sánchez signed a two-year contract. “He is one of the most recognized riders in the international peloton,” the team’s manager said about Sánchez, who was second in the 2009 Vuelta a España and fourth in the 2010 Tour de France. He is also the current Olympic Champion.
González de Galdeano sees a great benefit for the team’s recognition. While he admitted the negotiations were tough, both sides were eager to reach an agreement. “The compromise of Samu with the team and the team with Samu confirmed our will to stay together until 2012. It is the best news we can have.”
Sánchez won 23 races in his 11 years at Euskaltel Euskadi. He is the only rider on the team to have won a World Cup race (Zurich 2006), and the only rider on a podium of a Grand Tour (Vuelta – third in 2007 and second in 2009). His most recent success was on August 5, when he took stage two of the Vuelta a Burgos.