Vuelta A Espana

The final grand tour of 2007 sees us head off to Spain for the Vuelta a Espana. In the past i have written detailed previews on the contenders, today i am concentrating on one man, Samuel Sanchez.

In 2005 Sanchez finished 11th winning one stage and in 2006 he improved to finish 7th overall again winning one stage.

What i really like about this pick is that Sanchez has geared his whole year around an assault on the Vuelta. His cheif rivals Carlos Sastre, Damiano Cunego, Cadel Evans and JA Gomez Marchante have all ridden either the tour de france or Giro d'Italia in 2007.

Sam Sanchez has said way back in March his entire focus was on a podium in the Vuelta "To achieve that goal, I will not participate in the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France" he said.

He has a decent enough team to look after him at Euskaltel-Euskadi, perhaps most tellingly Haimar Zubeldia himself a very good grand tour rider has said he is riding for Sanchez. If anything Sanchez has played down his own ambitions claiming if he could get a podium and a stage win he would be very satisified. Having sacrificed his season for a crack at winning this i think he will be dissapointed with anything but a win.

This year he has won a stage in the Vuelta Catalunya and also a 14km time trial during the Vuelta al País Vasco.

His time trialling is not great but is more than competent (he beat Alberto Contador by 2 seconds in that TT) enough but his strength is his climbing and downhilling which every GC candidate needs in his armoury.

Skybet offer some great each way odds 1/4 odds 1-2-3 and odds of 9/1 - which is considerably bigger than most he is generally a 7/1 chance). That looks well worth taking on the Spaniard in his own race for all the reasons mentioned above.

4 points each way. (8 points total staked).



Bet Settled as follows:

4 Points Win LOST -4
4 points place WON +9

Stake 8 Points
Return 13 Points
Profit 5 Points

Pick : Samuel Sanchez to win the Vuelta
Odds : 3.50
Stake : 2 / 10
Bookmaker : Skybet
Date : 2007-09-01
Match Result :
Tipster Personal Link/Sponsor:

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