Sports

Sanchez Wins Cycling Gold for Spain

by optic | August 9, 2008 at 01:30 am

218 views | 7 Recommendations | 2 comments

Samuel Sanchez can now stand next to Carlos Sastre, Alberto Contador, Rapha Nadal and the Spanish National Football Squad as winners in 2008. On the final drag to the finish he managed to hold of Italian birthday boy (or man, at 37) Davide Rebellin. A hard charging Fabian Cancellara bridged to the lead group out of nowhere on the last climb and took bronze. Russian Alexandre Kolobnev finished fourth.

Also in the final selection formed on the last lap of the finishing circuit were Andy Schleck of Luxembourg (5th) and Micheal Rogers of Australia (6th). The winner was always looked to come from that group of five (minus Cancellara who was able to bridge from a group containing Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans).

Other Notes:

Three of the top five riders: Cancellara, Kolobnev and Schleck ride professionally with the Danish-Based CSC - Saxo Bank team.

Canadian Michael Barry managed a 9th place finish.

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Barbara McPherson

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:19 on August 9th, 2008

optic, I like this story. It's good stuff. Thanks for the report. The CBC coverage was so poor that I couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening. I guess that the Tour de France coverage spoils us.

kferaday

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 20:10 on August 10th, 2008

optic, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Great to see Michael Barry finish well. He's had some hard luck the past couple of years so he deserves a good result -- too bad he couldn't have made the final selection.