Samuel Sanchez get the first medal for Spain at the Olympics

There has been a long wait to get the first medal of the Olympic Games of Beijing 2008. Samuel Sanchez has won the gold in the background of the Road Race.

The expedition had many Spanish cyclist posibildades of gaining a medal in the background test. We had the winner of the Tour, with the winner of the Giro (and Tour), the triple world champion with an expert in one-day races and a cazaetapas Samuel Sanchez, a clear progression corridor in recent years .

The greatest strength for the sprint, Oscar Freire, had to withdraw after the middle of the race with stomach problems. Although the arrival was not suitable for him, always good to have the triple world champion and recent winner of the regularity of the Tour de France in a fully, but still we had to Alejandro Valverde, who was the favorite to capture the victory . He and Paolo Bettini, who did not stop to control each other.

In the penultimate lap the peloton neutralized to a large group of escapees who have arrived five minutes ahead of them. It contained only Alejandro Valverde. After neutralization, the Spanish command of a platoon pulled low and stretched, until Alberto Contador said he could not and fell over backwards. Then he returned to reprint a few yards in pace, but finally got off the bike at the last step in the wrong goal.

It was at the beginning of the last lap when it formed another getaway in a standstill platoon of about 15 riders which included Andy Schleck, Vande Velde, Cadel Evans, Michael Rogers ... and Samuel Sánchez. The Spanish would not have many options of arriving at these fifteen runners sprint, but Andy Schleck was like him and launched attacks, one of which caught on and left Andy himself, Samuel Sanchez, Davide Rebellin, Michael Rogers and Kolobnev to fight for Medals about 10 kilometers from the finish. Another attack left cut the last two and it seemed that the medals were to be divided between the Spanish, Italian Rebellin and Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.

Nothing is further from reality, because the absence of little more than a kilometer Fabian Cancellara, demonstrating its great power on the set level, reached the two pursuers (Cancellara was not even among the fifteen initial escape) and the three joined the three head. There was no time to think much, because the goal was a mile. The favorite was Rebellin. He started the sprint and Samuel Sanchez pressed at the right time, going right from Italian and Swiss Cancellara, only one of his country in the bunch. Samuel Sanchez raised her arms when it was revealed the winner. The Spanish cycling had achieved its first medal in the discipline and the Beijing Olympics. Samuel Sanchez was done with the gold medal.

Excited, could not hold back tears as the national anthem sounded. I say this because today is not very common to see elite athletes mourn. Grande Samuel.