Vuelta : General Rank Euskaltel

The Vuelta a España has finished and I think we have had a great competition. Ok, maybe it wasn't that spectacular when you look at the winner but when you look at the places 2-10, it was really exciting. Of course from an Euskaltel point of view this tour was just great !!! The third place of Samuel and the three stage victories were the highlights !

Final General classification
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 80.59.07
2 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC +3.31
3 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi +3.46
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto +3.56
5 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Karpin Galicia +6.34
6 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne +7.07
7 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne +8.09
8 Igor Antón (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi +8.44
9 Manuel Beltrán (Spa) Liquigas +9.38
10 Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quickstep - Innergetic +10.12

• 3. Samuel Sanchez : What can we say about his performance ?? Fabulous, amazing and heaven are the first words that come to my mind. His first week was a bit silent but he told the newspapers he would be ready in the third week and he made it true. He climbed in the general rank to the third spot with great stagewins in Granada, on the Alto de Abantos and his fabulous time trial !
• 8. Igor Anton : Although he couldn't repeat what he did last year, winning a stage, his Vuelta was very succesful. On the flat stages he could take it easy, but on the climb stages he had to work for Samuel. A few times he was sent in a break so he could help Samuel later. All of this didn't bother him and rode to a great eight spot in the overall.
• 44. Haimar Zubeldia : Despite his fall in an early stage, he worked really hard and managed to get in some early escapes. He couldn't ride a good general rank or win a stage but I think he did a really good job for Samuel.
• 63. Dionisio Galparsoro : One of the greatest helpers in the peloton during the vuelta ! We saw him riding really hard at the front of the peloton and in the first and second week going in a break in the more difficult stages. He rode a damn great Vuelta !
• 74. Iñaki Isasi : Iñaki rode a slightly disappointing Vuelta. Of course he also worked hard in the peloton for Koldo and Samuel, but he didn't manage to place himself good in a sprint, resulting in a 17th place as his best result.
• 75. Iñigo Landaluze : A bit the same as Isasi. Did a great job for Samuel but we didn't get from him what we've expected, a long break till the end. Of course he showed himself already in the Tour.
• 81. Aitor Hernandez : Aitor showed himself this year as a good helper on the climbs. When the pace went up, he mostly couldn't follow but he rode some good results. His still young so we can expect something more from him in the futur.
• 94. Alan Perez : Placed himself good in the sprints with a 14th place as best. He was man who had to help Koldo in the sprints and he did a really good job !
• 133. Koldo Fernandez : In this vuelta, Koldo has proven himself as one of the better sprinters in the peloton. He even got a second place once, but I think at the end of the vuelta he got a bit tired so he didn't do that well in the last sprints.