Who else thinks Sammy is lying.

by Hons on Jun 28, 2008 5:50 PM EDT

So Samuel Sanchez does an interview with VeloNews. In it he discusses how his goals are stage wins and tour completion. He also divulges that he will be racing the Olympics. After that HE'S DONE!!! Vacation time. That's it, end of season.

I for one, don' believe it. He wants us to believe that his team is essentially paying him a year long salary and only asking for a stage win or two. Here is one VDS that says bullshit. I expect to see SamSan's Contador to Zubeldia's Levi. If this is his only race this year, I expect at least three stage wins, and all four jerseys!! Cummon give a guy a break. This is all karmic retribution for laughing at those who placed their faith in Basso and Ale-Jet these last few years.

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yeah,

if true then the Euskies are nuts.
He has prepared for the Tour, missing all the races where he usually is very good at, and then after the Tour & Olympics (where Valverde or Contador likely have a better shot for the victory/medal than him, because of the climbs?) he just wraps up the extremely short season??? Huh?

by Bruce Suomi on Jun 28, 2008 6:44 PM EDT 0 recs

total agree with you both

but i think he goes to Vuelta? he only did 4 races this season…
sandbagging himself…

by semprenaroda on Jun 28, 2008 7:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

+1 And the worst self-sandbagging job ever.

...Or else all the bad karmic juices that I’ve squeezed since birth are coming back at me all at once, to make me the worst VDS of all time (remember, I’m 2nd from the bottom right now, and SamSan and Zubeldia are both on my team.) I’m kind of horrified by the whole article…

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor. - George Carlin

by Ruthann on Jun 28, 2008 7:43 PM EDT 0 recs

he was one of my VDS guys...

until I read somewhere (early in the season) that he wasn’t doing the classics. Then he also said something like “you want see me until the Tour”, “I’m not going to Vuelta al Pais Vasco” (where he always got good results), etc.

It seems it had all something to do with the new contract he signed with Euskaltel last year. I guess he had better offers from other teams but the new Euskaltel contract (until 2010) probably allowed him to do this ‘strange’ planning for the 2008 season.

by King of Doping on Jun 28, 2008 8:13 PM EDT 0 recs

Maybe it's a two-year plan

He goes really easy, but training his ass off, then next year he shows up at the spring classics and wins them all. Including Paris Roubaix..and Flanders…off a descending attack off the Muur. .

Who will be laughing then.

No wait…he has a secret plan to artificially reduce his VDS point value so that his real fans who still pick him next year will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest of points. Yeah…that must be it. And yes, he’s doing it on purpose to mess with Ursula’s head.

by Hons on Jun 28, 2008 8:30 PM EDT 0 recs

Smells like...

wishful thinking.

"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race

by ELVISGOAT on Jun 28, 2008 11:24 PM EDT 0 recs

I don't think it matters if he is sandbagging or not

The fact is, he’s not going to win the Tour. He’s done well in the Vuelta, but the Tour isn’t the Vuelta. Plus, Zubeldia has a track record in the Tour, Sanchez does not. I think the road will sort things out. The smart thing would be stage hunting and a shot at the Vuelta GC, but he’s not riding the Vuelta. I don’t think he’s cut out for the Tour and he’ll soon find out. Valverde has a better chance at doing something in the Tour but he won’t win either. Neither one is consistent enough to win the Tour at this point.

If I just had one more gear, I...

by SpunOut on Jun 28, 2008 11:37 PM EDT 0 recs

Ha!

I’m agnostic on Sammy Sanchez.

But that was a damn funny post.

by gavia on Jun 28, 2008 11:57 PM EDT 0 recs

This post

Are you baiting me? Because I am way beyond rational analysis. If Sammy launches a downhill attack in the Alps, I’m ordering the DVD before it’s over.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jun 29, 2008 1:19 AM EDT 0 recs

Agreed

I mostly want Sam San to win because of the VDS, but i think he can play in the mountain finishes. Go Sammy!

by dheadrick on Jun 29, 2008 1:56 AM EDT up 0 recs

My appologies

The above was never meant to appear rational.

by Hons on Jun 29, 2008 2:10 AM EDT up 0 recs

Well then

it fits right in here.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jun 29, 2008 11:13 AM EDT up 0 recs

only need to be rational in months that end with R

by lyne on Jun 29, 2008 11:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yesssssssss

by Hons on Jun 30, 2008 1:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

Angliru

It’s hard to believe. The Vuelta will be HUGE. The Tour will be pale in comparison.

There’s a great section of the race in Asturias, his home, including the Spain’s monster peak, Angliru.

A good chunk of the Asturian riders will be riding the Vuelta; it’s hard to imagine Sanchez wouldn’t want to be a part. And hard to imagine Euskaltel not being quite excited about his chances.

Just guessing: If Contador is supported by Asturians Rubiera, Noval, and Navarro-a reasonable suppostion-would Samu turn his back on that quality of sport with his companeros? And we can hope Carlos Barredo will be there from Quick Step. Too cool, a great drama, great stories for the hometown papers.

The Asturian guys know very well what beast the Angliru is—they’ve said so. Chechu Rubiera commented after the course was presented that it’s horrific, inhumane. It will be big, big news.

Just guessing again: Contador is denied his goal of the Alpe d’Huez this year. Look for him to strike on the Angliru in Asturias.

Spain is ascendant in the world of sport these days. It’s unbelievable: Contador: Tour, Giro. The Eurocup. Nadal at Wimbledon. National champions Valverde and LL Sanchez working for a Tour victory. Maxi-superstar Fernando Alonso. Pereiro’s reaffirmation as Tour 2006 champ in light of the Landis ruling.

Vuelta 2008 is Da Bomb. I can’t believe Samu won’t be there.

by Steno on Jul 2, 2008 10:52 AM EDT 0 recs