Sánchez gets through Dauphiné stage two
Samuel Sánchez overcame the pain and completed today's second stage of the Dauphiné.
It was confirmed in the early morning hours that the Olympic champ would take the start after yesterday's bad crash, and the 34-year-old went on to complete the hilly stage just roughly two minutes down on victor and compatriot Daniel Moreno. Samu stayed with the pack up until they reached the bottom of the final climb, but admitted post-stage that it was all but easy.
"Just like yesterday I suffered to stay with the peloton, but we got through it", he told the team's website. "Let's hope I recover from the injury and start to feel better, but it's hurts a lot, so we'll have to be careful".
As for the stage, Mikel Landa showed he's on decent form by forming part of the 44-strong lead group that got the same finishing time as Katusha's Moreno. Martínez, Verdugo and Azanza couldn't hold the pace and ended up 18 seconds down, but after what happened yesterday you would excuse them for being more focussed on Samu than on results.
Stage two results (full results here):
- (1, Daniel Moreno (Katusha), 4:02:38)
- 20, Mikel Landa, s.t.
- 50, Jorge Azanza, 0:18
- 54, Egoi Martínez, s.t.
- 57, Gorka Verdugo, s.t.
- 107, Ricardo García, 2:05
- 129, Samuel Sánchez, s.t.
- 139, Peio Bilbao, 3:24
- 168, Alan Pérez, 11:43
Photo: www.cyclingnews.com
2 comments:
Yesterday Garcia and Bilbao had to stay with Samu, while Perez and Azanza couldn't hold the pace on a third category climb... Please guys, shake the Tour nine because some of the guys haven't any level at the moment, while youngsters surely deserve a chance. Alan Perez is no option anymore. Same goes for the Suisse team, if Sicard, Astarloza and Urtasun doesn't show decent shape, take a youngster and get Txurruka out of his summer sleep. To me, besides Samu only Verdugo, Ruben Perez and Izagirre are certitudes. And even then, credits go to Izagirre and Perez for last year's TDF, not for recent prestations.
You don't seem overly optimistic about the Tour, am I right?;) I wouldn't worry about R Pérez and Izagirre - they know what they're doing. Same goes for Martínez and Verdugo and Urtasun. I agree though on A Pérez, Astarloza, Azanza and Sicard. They have to get results - especially Pérez and Azanza. As for Sicard, I'd take him no matter the shape; it'll be good for him, give him a feel for the level, and it'll certainly do his motor the world of good. Plus, he might return to former highs if he gets that amount of competition in his legs.
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