Luis León Sánchez Gil (born 24 November 1983) is a Spanish former road bicycle racer, who last rode for UCI WorldTeam Astana Qazaqstan Team.[7][8] Sánchez's major achievements include winning the overall classifications of the 2009 Paris–Nice and the 2005 Tour Down Under, as well as the one-day race Clásica de San Sebastián in 2010 and 2012. He also has four Tour de France stage victories and is a four-time winner of the Spanish National Time Trial Championships. He is a time trial specialist and has improved his climbing skills over the course of his career.
 Sánchez at the 2015 Vuelta a España | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luis León Sánchez Gil | |||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Lulu, Luisle | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 24 November 1983 Mula, Spain | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb; 11 st 7 lb)[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Astana Qazaqstan Team | |||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | |||||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | |||||||||||||||||
| Rider type | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Liberty Seguros | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Caisse d'Epargne | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Rabobank | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Caja Rural–Seguros RGA | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2021 | Astana[2][3][4] | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Team Bahrain Victorious[5][6] | |||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Astana Qazaqstan Team | |||||||||||||||||
| Major wins | ||||||||||||||||||
Grand Tours
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Medal record
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Personal life
editBorn in Mula, he is also known as Lulu Sánchez. León is not his surname but he carries it as a middle name as a mark of respect to his grandfather originally, but since late 2006 also as a tribute to his eldest brother, León Sánchez, who died in a motorbike accident. His younger brother, Pedro León, is a professional footballer, playing for Spanish team CF Fuenlabrada. His other brother, Antonio León Sánchez, plays indoor football. He is not related to fellow Spanish cyclist Samuel Sánchez.
Career
editEarly career
editSánchez rode for the Liberty Seguros team from 2004 until 2006, with his major results being overall victories in the 2005 Tour Down Under, and podium positions in the 2006 Tour Down Under, and the 2006 Vuelta a Castilla y León.
Caisse d'Epargne (2007–10)
editIn 2007, he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros–Würth team in the wake of the Operación Puerto doping case. In his first season with the team, he won the Vuelta a Mallorca, and finished third in Paris–Nice after winning Stage 6.
The 2008 season saw Sánchez win another stage of Paris–Nice, this time finishing fifth overall. He claimed the Spanish National Time Trial Championships for the first time. He also rode his second Tour de France, and won Stage 7 after counterattacking, having been in a breakaway that was caught by the peloton.
Sánchez won the 2009 Tour Méditerranéen, and the following month won Paris–Nice after winning Stage 7 in a dominant fashion. He also won stages of the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour du Haut Var, and took victory on Stage 8 of the Tour de France on his way to finishing 26th overall.
The 2010 season was Sánchez's most successful to date. He showed strong form in the early part of the season, finishing second in the Tour Down Under and winning the fifth stage. This was followed with another second place, in the Volta ao Algarve, after he won the final time trial. Sánchez attempted to defend his Paris–Nice title, but finished second overall, eleven seconds behind Alberto Contador. Sánchez then won the overall classification and a stage at the Circuit de la Sarthe in April. He recorded a fourth place in the Volta a Catalunya, and reclaimed his title at Spanish National Time Trial Championships. At the Tour de France, Sánchez finished second on Stage 9 after being in the breakaway, and went on to finish eleventh overall – later revised to tenth after Contador was stripped of the title – his best result to date in the Tour. Following the Tour, Sánchez took his biggest one-day race victory by winning the Clásica de San Sebastián. Sánchez also rode the Vuelta a España, and finished tenth overall after a strong final week.
Rabobank (2011–2013)
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Sánchez joined Dutch team Rabobank for the 2011 season. Once again he won the Spanish National Time Trial Championships, and he also won Stage 9 of the Tour de France, but was unable to repeat his high overall placing of 2010, managing only 57th overall. Likewise, he rode the Vuelta a España and finished 53rd overall.
Remaining with Rabobank into 2012,[9] Sánchez won Stage 6 of Paris–Nice after a long breakaway with veteran Jens Voigt, his fourth stage victory in the event.[10] He also won two consecutive stages of the Tour de Romandie; on the first of these, he took the win over Lotto–Belisol's Gianni Meersman, almost pushing him in the barriers on the right side, but the commissaires judged the sprint to be legal.[11] He led the race going into the final time trial, but put in a poor ride and dropped to tenth overall. Sánchez won the Spanish National Time Trial Championships again, and he won Stage 14 of the Tour de France, which included two category 1 climbs. He was in a breakaway with 4 other riders including Peter Sagan (Liquigas–Cannondale) when he launched a solo attack 11.5 kilometres (7.1 miles) away from the finish line to take the solo victory with a margin of 47 seconds on the chasers.[12] Sánchez came close to a second victory on Stage 18 after he and Nicolas Roche attacked from the peloton in the final 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) overhauled the breakaway group and looked to have held off the chasing peloton only for Mark Cavendish to sprint past the pair in the final 200 metres (660 feet). On the following stage, Sánchez set the third fastest time in the time trial, with only the final two riders to set a time, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins, beating Sánchez.
Sánchez was selected to represent Spain in the Olympic Games in both the road race and the time trial. His time trial was wrecked by two mechanical problems, including losing his chain as he left the start ramp. He went on to win the Clásica de San Sebastián, with a strong solo attack over the closing kilometres, while his teammates Mollema and Gesink disrupted the chase. He resisted to the peloton's return during his 9-kilometre (5.6-mile) solo ordeal, never getting more than 20 seconds of an advantage over the group.[13]
In 2013,[14] Rabobank left cycling as a sponsor and the team became Blanco Pro Cycling.[15] At the beginning of February, the team decided to suspend Sánchez indefinitely, saying that they will investigate the past relationship between the rider and Eufemiano Fuentes, a doctor under trial for providing athletes with doping substances and performing blood transfusions.[16] After a few weeks, Sánchez was reinstated in the team, and returned to race in the Tour of Belgium, where he won a stage. Sánchez planned to skip the Tour de France and focus on the Vuelta a España.[17]
Caja Rural (2014)
editIn October 2013, Belkin Pro Cycling announced that Sánchez would be dropped from the team as a result of accusations linking him to the Operación Puerto doping case.[18] In December, it was announced that Sánchez would join the Caja Rural–Seguros RGA team for 2014.[19]
Astana (2015–2021)
editIn August 2014, Astana announced that they had signed Sánchez on an initial one-year deal for the 2015 season.[20]
In June 2015, he competed in the inaugural European Games, for Spain in cycling. He earned a gold medal in the road race and a bronze in the time trial.
Team Bahrain Victorious
editIn October 2021, Sánchez signed a two-year contract with Team Bahrain Victorious, which would extend his career to twenty professional seasons.[21]
Major results
edit- 1999
- 2nd Road race, National Junior Road Championships
- 2000
- 2nd Road race, National Junior Road Championships
- 2001
- 2nd Time trial, National Junior Road Championships
- 2004 (2 pro wins)
- 1st Stage 3 (ITT) Clásica Internacional de Alcobendas
- 1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Asturias
- 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
- 5th Circuito de Getxo
- 10th Overall Circuit de la Sarthe
- 2005 (3)
- 1st
Overall Tour Down Under
- 1st
Young rider classification - 1st Stage 3
- 1st
- 1st Stage 3 (ITT) Clásica Internacional de Alcobendas
- 4th Overall Three Days of De Panne
- 2006
- 1st Young rider classification, Paris–Nice
- 2nd Overall Tour Down Under
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
- 3rd Overall Three Days of De Panne
- 2007 (1)
- 1st Overall Vuelta a Mallorca
- 2nd Trofeo Sóller
- 5th Trofeo Pollença
- 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
- 3rd Overall Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 6
- 7th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- 2008 (3)
- 1st
Time trial, National Road Championships - Tour de France
- 1st Stage 7
Combativity award Stage 7
- 3rd Overall Critérium International
- 5th Overall Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 7
- 8th Overall Tour Down Under
- 2009 (6)
- 1st Overall Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 7
- 1st Overall Tour Méditerranéen
- 1st Stage 8 Tour de France
- 1st Stage 1 Tour du Haut Var
- 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
- 5th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stage 1
- 6th Overall Tour de Picardie
- 6th GP Ouest–France
- 8th Clásica de Almería
- 2010 (6)
- 1st Time trial, National Road Championships
- 1st Overall Circuit de la Sarthe
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Clásica de San Sebastián
- 2nd Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 1st Stage 5 (ITT)
- 2nd Overall Tour Down Under
- 1st Stage 5
- 2nd Overall Paris–Nice
- 3rd UCI World Ranking
- 4th Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 4th Clásica de Almería
- 7th Time trial, UCI Road World Championships
- 9th Overall Tour de France
- 9th Overall Vuelta a España
- 2011 (2)
- 1st Time trial, National Road Championships
- 1st Stage 9 Tour de France
- 6th Overall Tour of Beijing
- 8th Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 2012 (7)
- 1st Time trial, National Road Championships
- 1st Clásica de San Sebastián
- 1st Stage 14 Tour de France
- 1st Stage 6 Paris–Nice
- 1st Stage 2 Vuelta a Castilla y León
- 10th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 1st Stages 3 & 4
- 2013 (2)
- National Road Championships
- 2nd Time trial
- 3rd Road race
- 2nd Overall Tour of Belgium
- 1st Stage 5
- 2nd Overall Tour de l'Ain
- 1st Stage 3
- 2014 (2)
- Vuelta a España
- 1st
Mountains classification - Combativity award Stages 13, 14, 16 & 18
- 1st
- 1st Stage 3 Vuelta a Castilla y León
- 2nd Overall La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
- 1st Stage 1
- 2nd Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
- 4th Road race, National Road Championships
- 8th Overall Tour of Turkey
- 8th Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana
- 2015 (1)
- European Games
- 1st
Road race - 3rd
Time trial
- 1st
- 1st Stage 2 (TTT) Vuelta a Burgos
- 4th Time trial, National Road Championships
- 5th Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 5th Vuelta a Murcia
- 2016 (2)
- 1st Stage 1 Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stage 2 Volta ao Algarve
- 2nd Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- 4th Vuelta a Murcia
- 10th Road race, UEC European Road Championships
- Combativity award Stage 9 Vuelta a España
- 2017 (1)
- 1st Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli
- 4th Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 2018 (3)
- 1st Vuelta a Murcia
- 2nd Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- 4th Road race, National Road Championships
- 4th Overall Tour of Almaty
- 1st Stage 2
- 5th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
- 5th Overall Route d'Occitanie
- 8th Overall Tour of the Alps
- 1st Stage 4
- 8th Overall Tour Down Under
- 8th Overall Tour of Guangxi
- 2019 (3)
- 1st Overall Vuelta a Murcia
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st
- 1st Stage 2 Tour de Suisse
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Vuelta a España
- 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
- 2nd GP Miguel Induráin
- 4th Overall Tour Down Under
- 9th Overall Paris–Nice
- 10th Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- 2020 (2)
- National Road Championships
- 1st Road race
- 2nd Time trial
- 1st
- 1st Stage 2 Vuelta a Murcia
- 2021 (1)
- 1st Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia
- 3rd GP Miguel Induráin
- 8th Circuito de Getxo
- 2022
- 7th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Combativity award Stage 14 Vuelta a España
General classification results timeline
edit| Grand Tour general classification results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Tour | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 35 | — | 43 | 25 | — | — | 33 | — | 24 | ||||
 Tour de France
|
— | 108 | — | — | 62 | 26 | 9 | 57 | 64 | — | — | — | 48 | — | DNF | DNF | 32 | — | 14 | — | ||||
 / Vuelta a España
|
— | — | DNF | 72 | — | — | 9 | 53 | — | DNF | 56 | 33 | 26 | 32 | — | 23 | DNF | DNF | 16 | 61 | ||||
| Major stage race general classification results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||
| Paris–Nice
|
73 | 54 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 28 | 17 | — | — | DNF | 17 | — | 21 | 9 | — | 17 | DNF | 24 | ||||
 / Tirreno–Adriatico
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
 Volta a Catalunya
|
— | 92 | 71 | — | 78 | — | 4 | — | 49 | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | NH | 27 | — | — | ||||
| Tour of the Basque Country
|
— | — | — | — | DNF | 5 | — | 14 | — | — | 37 | 18 | 46 | 32 | — | 27 | — | DNF | 22 | |||||
| Tour de Romandie
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | 10 | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | 40 | — | |||||
 Critérium du Dauphiné
|
— | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | 44 | 12 | — | — | — | 33 | DNF | — | — | 57 | — | 23 | — | ||||
| Tour de Suisse
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | 35 | — | — | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | NH | — | — | — | ||||
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| NH | Not held |
| IP | In progress |
References
edit- ^ a b "Astana – Pro Team". Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- ^ "Astana Pro Team presented renewed roster for 2019". Astana. Apgrade. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "Astana Pro Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ "Astana - Premier Tech". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "Bahrain Victorious sign Sánchez and U23 time trial world champion". CyclingNews. Future plc. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ "BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS". UCI. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ "Astana Qazaqstan Team". UCI. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ^ "The Team". Astana Qazaqstan Team. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ^ "Rabobank Cycling Team (RAB) – NED". UCI World Tour. Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
- ^ "Paris – Nice 2012 : Etape 6, Résultat – Luis Leon Sanchez bat Jens Voigt au sprint, Wiggins toujours leader". portailduvelo.fr (in French). 9 March 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- ^ Abraham, Richard (27 April 2012). "Luis Leon Sanchez sprints to victory in Romandie". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ^ Westemeyer, Susan (15 July 2012). "Sanchez saves Rabobank's Tour with stage win in Foix". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ "Clásica San Sebastián sees Luis León Sánchez bounce back from Olympic disappointment". Velo Nation. Velo Nation LLC. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Former Rabobank (RAB) – NED". UCI World Tour. Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ "Cycling team's reaction to new start — Rabosport.com". Rabosport.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "Team Blanco suspend Luis Leon Sanchez". CyclingNews. Future Publishing Limited. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ^ "Luis Leon Sanchez niet in Tour, wel Vuelta". wielerflits (in Dutch). 27 May 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
- ^ "Belkin drops Sanchez amid possible Operation Puerto link". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
- ^ "Luis Léon Sánchez signs with Caja Rural". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 25 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ Farrand, Stephen (1 August 2014). "Transfers: Astana signs Boom, Sanchez, Rosa and Malacarne". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Fletcher, Patrick (15 October 2021). "Bahrain Victorious sign Sánchez and U23 time trial world champion". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
External links
edit
- Luis Leon Sanchez at UCI
- Luis León Sánchez at ProCyclingStats
- Luis León Sánchez at Olympedia
- Luis León Sánchez Gil at Cycling Archives
- Luis Leon Sanchez Gil at CQ Ranking
- Luis Leon Sanchez Gil at CycleBase
- Luis Leon Sanchez Gil at Olympics.com
- Luis León Sánchez Gil at the Comité Olímpico Español (in Spanish)
- Luis Leon Sanchez Gil at trap-friis.dk
- Luis Leon Sanchez Gil at Cicloweb.it at the Wayback Machine (archived 5 March 2004)
