SAMUEL SÁNCHEZ AMBASSADOR OF "L'ÉTAPE BILBAO BY TOUR DE FRANCE"
The professional cyclist will wear the Santini jersey to ride the 185 km stage with the popular cyclists
On 11 June Bilbao will experience one of its big days with the bicycle as the protagonist, and the historic celebration of the Grand Départ Pays Basque 2023, with the dual aim of attracting and involving the amateur public in this event and publicising the start of the Tour de France among the public. It is also a unique opportunity for popular cycle tourists to ride along the 185 km that the peloton will cover a few days later in the inaugural stage, Bilbao-Bilbao, of the Tour de France 2023.
Samuel Sánchez, professional cyclist, linked to the Basque Country since his beginnings in the world of two wheels, will be one of the ambassadors of the race and representative face within the popular peloton of "L'ÉTAPE BILBAO BY TOUR DE FRANCE". The Asturian, who grew up in Olarra, knows the roads of Bizkaia very well, as he lived in Galdakao and Gueñes before making the leap to professional cycling with Euskaltel Euskadi in 2000. He has countless sporting successes to his name, including the gold medal he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the road cycling event, the first national cyclist to do so.
Samu Sánchez always stood out in the classics and one-day races, which allowed him to finish second and third in the UCI classification in 2006 and 2009, respectively. In addition to continuing to be recognised as one of the specialists in descents.
His sporting achievements do not stop there, as he has also achieved great results in major tours such as the Vuelta a España and the Tour de France. In the national event he won 6 stages to be on the final podium as second in 2009 and third in 2007. Meanwhile, in the Gallic round 'Samu' managed to win several stages, to climb up to the second step of the final podium in 2010, and only a year later, in 2011, he won the polka dot jersey after winning the mythical summit of Luz Ardiden.
The Asturian cyclist has remembered this stage in the French round with great affection, because "the Tour de France is the best race for anyone who has a passion for cycling and to come back to Euskadi, where the best fans in the world are, is something exciting. To be able to do this stage less than a month before it takes place is a spectacular opportunity. And on a personal level it will be special to be able to enjoy the route with many of the people who supported me to win in Luz Ardiden, to get a podium or when I was wearing the polka dot jersey. I'm looking forward to June 11".
Currently, the former Euskaltel Euskadi and BMC Racing Team professional cyclist runs his own cycling academy, considered one of the best training academies in Europe, is a world ambassador for MMR Bikes and Catlike and is a regular commentator on media such as RNE and Eurosport.
It is worth remembering that the registration period for this exclusive event is open at www.bilbao.letapebytourdefrance.com. Prices vary according to the distance of the race and the date of registration. The 'Official' route is identical to the first stage of the Tour de France 2023. It will cover the 185 km of the opening day, Bilbao - Bilbao, to which must be added the 11 km of the neutralised section.
The 'Medium' consists of a total of 157 km and accumulates a positive difference in altitude of 2869m. This second circuit will run almost entirely on the 'Tour' road. And the 'Lite' has 124 km, 116 of which are on the same route as the Tour de France. Both the start and finish of the three events will follow the same route as the first stage of the 2023 'Grande Boucle'.
All registered riders will receive an exclusive Santini jersey designed especially for this occasion. In addition, they will be provided with refreshments along the entire route, post-finish catering and many other services together with two-wheel champions such as Samuel Sánchez.
