Luis León Sanchez. Until where will he arrive?

[Aguirre]

Luis León Sanchez. Until where will he arrive?

this thread is simply about discussing the potencial of this rider. In Spain there is quite a lot of speculation if he will be a GT contender, starting from this season. Or about what palmarés he will colect. He is only 26 and the potencial is incredible. Classy and spectacular, LLS has no limits.
TT skils, climbing well, classics, Worlds, Vuelta and Tour.

TDU is only the beginning of this spring, where he can get many victories.

He has allready proven being strong in one week tours.

What if this year he jumps to another level, maybe at the TdF?

 

[hfer07]

LLSanchez needs to find a team that fully supports and embraces his goals.
I believe his current team Caisse has always given priority to Valverde-not that he isn't worth the position he's in- but Luis holds a very bright future in the sport and now that Caisse is pulling out-this could be the opportunity to seek that team

 

[Anonymous]

this thread is simply about discussing the potencial of this rider. In Spain there is quite a lot of speculation if he will be a GT contender, starting from this season. Or about what palmarés he will colect. He is only 26 and the potencial is incredible. Classy and spectacular, LLS has no limits.
TT skils, climbing well, classics, Worlds, Vuelta and Tour.

TDU is only the beginning of this spring, where he can get many victories.

He has allready proven being strong in one week tours.

What if this year he jumps to another level, maybe at the TdF?

Unfortunately, for at least a few more months, his future revolves around Valverde. He really wants to defend his title at Paris-Nice, but since Valverde can't race in Italy, the team wants LL to ride Tirreno-Adriatico instead. He said after the Tour Down Under that he hopes his show of strength there might convince the team to let him do what he wants.

I haven't heard anything about the rest of Sanchez's schedule, but Valverde obviously won't race the Giro d'Italia, so maybe he can be team leader for that race and jump a level. I wish him well - he's an exciting rider. After this year depends on the team's search for a new sponsor. He might end up on another squad where he could be race leader.

 

[Wallace]

LLSanchez needs to find a team that fully supports and embraces his goals.
I believe his current team Caisse has always given priority to Valverde-not that he isn't worth the position he's in- but Luis holds a very bright future in the sport and now that Caisse is pulling out-this could be the opportunity to seek that team-I wouldn't be surprised if he joins Contador.

Just to state the obvious: if LLSanchez has any aspirations of his own--and clearly he does--joining a team with Contador would be even worse for him than being on a team with Valverde. Contador has the right to be the unquestioned team leader in any race he enters. WIth Caisse, although Valverde has won a GT, his ability to win The Tour is still very much in doubt, and Sanchez could expect to be a co-leader, or at least an almost co-leader, if he can out perfrom Valv-Piti in the TTs.

 

[hfer07]

Just to state the obvious: if LLSanchez has any aspirations of his own--and clearly he does--joining a team with Contador would be even worse for him than being on a team with Valverde. Contador has the right to be the unquestioned team leader in any race he enters. WIth Caisse, although Valverde has won a GT, his ability to win The Tour is still very much in doubt, and Sanchez could expect to be a co-leader, or at least an almost co-leader, if he can out perfrom Valv-Piti in the TTs.

did you notice I corrected my post?

 

[franciep10]

or he could go to whichever team alberto is on and be the leader for the giro or vuelta and then support alberto in the tour.

 

[Willy_Voet]

I hope that LLS will break the mold of 'Spanish GT contender' to try and scoop single day and week-long races.

From what I've seen, he has a tidy sprint and the potential to make select breakaways at the end of a race. Spain needs another Oscar Freire, not another Joseba Beloki.

 

[zapata]

He's friends with contador from way back, I think? Think they would compliment each other nicely, unless Sanchez thinks he can win the TdF. For some reason I can't picture him contending for a Grand Tour; I seem to have him categorized as someone like Di Luca or Valverde (both of whom I never pictured winning GTs, until they did ..) By that logic, he ought to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege, at least..

 

[zapata]

I hope that LLS will break the mold of 'Spanish GT contender' to try and scoop single day and week-long races.

Exactly! The spanish, in general, doesn't seem to appreciate the one day races as much? Everybody can't be a stage racer.

 

[moi123]

It's obvious that Luis Leon is showing great results and he's has everything. (like his footy brother Pedro Leon, who's still waiting to join a big club )

In my eyes he's a GT contender, with a good team behind him.
I've always liked the duo valverde/sanchez in one team.
But now they both deserve to be teamleader.
But valverde is, and LL is ok with it, that's just how he is.

and ofcourse Valverde is still a bit better.

 

[Aguirre]

well, I see LLS and Valverde complementary to each other. I don't see why LLS should move apart.
LLS is improving from year to year but there is a certain moment he needs to have a real explosion! And it needs to be this year.

LLS has been compared to Indurain in his physical qualities, he is turning 27 late this season (november) and remenber when Indurain won his first Tour?

I remenber myself at that stage in Paris-Nice of 2007, when LLS and Contador were in a final break with Chavannel and then LLS won the stage impressively. I told myself: this guy is gonna win the TDF!!!!!!!!!! then Contador got allready two.

Well, last year Paris-nice was a little revenge

 

[Aguirre]

and yes, he should focus in the classics too.

For example Milano-San Remo, I see him unstopable at the Poggio. Also in worlds, or Amstel.

Looking at his body, he is also shaped for the cobbles. The problem is just that he is Murcian...

 

[Cogombre]

Exactly! The spanish, in general, doesn't seem to appreciate the one day races as much? Everybody can't be a stage racer.

Yup, but there's a problem with that. If you aren't a stage racer, unless you win almost everything you enter, you just don't exist for the average cycling fan in Spain. Of course, there are people (like me ) who care about one day or one week races, but the average fan does not. The best example are both Oscar Freire or Joan Antoni Flecha, both great one day racers and both absolutely underestimated in general specially by the media.

Anyway, I think that the future of Luisle is more on one week stage races rather than in GT. I think that those high mountains are just too much for him, but he's explosive and a very good TTer. He has potential to collect a great number of wins in one week, and even one day races.

 

[quiensabe]

Not very up-to-date

It's obvious that Luis Leon is showing great results and he's has everything. (like his footy brother Pedro Leon, who's still waiting to join a big club )

In my eyes he's a GT contender, with a good team behind him.
I've always liked the duo valverde/sanchez in one team.
But now they both deserve to be teamleader.
But valverde is, and LL is ok with it, that's just how he is.

and ofcourse Valverde is still a bit better.

Excuse me, but his brother was killed in a car accident. You may not have noticed, but LuisLe pays homage to his late brother every time he wins a stage.

 

[moi123]

Excuse me, but his brother was killed in a car accident. You may not have noticed, but LuisLe pays homage to his late brother every time he wins a stage.

Yes I know but he's has another brother. Actually he has 3 brothers.
One is a footballer, one a cyclist and the other one was unfortunately killed in a quad accident.

 

[Aguirre]

Excuse me, but his brother was killed in a car accident. You may not have noticed, but LuisLe pays homage to his late brother every time he wins a stage.

I guess he was referring to another brother who plays et the spanish football league at Getafe, and is a very good player. It is obvious there is another brother also an ex-cyclist was died and he plays hommage in every win

 

[theyoungest]

Yes I know but he's has another brother. He has 2 brothers.
One is footballer, and one was killed in a quad accident.

That's why they both use his name (leon) as their second name.

I believe he still has two brothers. He used to have three.

 

[Cogombre]

Excuse me, but his brother was killed in a car accident. You may not have noticed, but LuisLe pays homage to his late brother every time he wins a stage.

He has another two brothers, besides the one who died, called Pedro León and Antonio León, both footballers (the latter in indoor football though). The name "León" is a hommage to his Grandfather or something like that.

 

[moi123]

Yes that's right, I forgot one.

 

[auscyclefan94]

this thread is simply about discussing the potencial of this rider. In Spain there is quite a lot of speculation if he will be a GT contender, starting from this season. Or about what palmarés he will colect. He is only 26 and the potencial is incredible. Classy and spectacular, LLS has no limits.
TT skils, climbing well, classics, Worlds, Vuelta and Tour.

TDU is only the beginning of this spring, where he can get many victories.

He has allready proven being strong in one week tours.

What if this year he jumps to another level, maybe at the TdF?

it seems like this guy has been around for ages. They talk him up to be the next star in world cycling. A lot of pressure has been on him from a young age.

 

[issoisso]

it seems like this guy has been around for ages. They talk him up to be the next star in world cycling. A lot of pressure has been on him from a young age.

The problem being he's never shown any semblance of climbing with the best. Ever. He's not like every single late bloomer, who early on could climb a stage or two but needed to find consistency and raise their level a bit. He's quite simply never done it.

Therefore, it's unlikely he ever will, although the extremely slim possibility does exist. As for hype, spanish fans tend to hype Madrazo a heck of a lot more.

 

[zapata]

The problem being he's never shown any semblance of climbing with the best. Ever. He's not like every single late bloomer, who early on could climb a stage or two but needed to find consistency and raise their level a bit. He's quite simply never done it.

Therefore, it's unlikely he ever will, although the extremely slim possibility does exist. As for hype, spanish fans tend to hype Madrazo a heck of a lot more.

To me, him winning the a grand tour would be like someone like bettini doing it. A big surprise. But again, I was saying the same thing about Di Luca and even Valverde, before they went and won their respective home tours, so what do I know..

 

[Anonymous]

Good idea for a thread, you beat me to it!!

I really like LL Sanchez, but as a GT contender is a few years off I believe.

At this stage in his career, to me, his body type seems perfectly tailored for the hilly one-day classics, such as the Ardennes and the Italian Autumn classics. Add to that stage hunting at the tour.

He has good short-burst climbing potential, a decent TT, an okay sprint - he really seems a show-in for the Ardennes podiums...

Does anyone know why he doesn't race the hilly classics?
Is it because Valverde is there?

I would love to see him this year continue his progress at one-week stage racing, but also have a keen crack at the hilly classics.

You never know tho, the GT potential may only be one or two years away. He talked about building less muscle this year so perhaps he has decided to go down that path already

 

[unsheath]

I hope that LLS will break the mold of 'Spanish GT contender' to try and scoop single day and week-long races.

From what I've seen, he has a tidy sprint and the potential to make select breakaways at the end of a race. Spain needs another Oscar Freire, not another Joseba Beloki.

They don't need either really. Their results over the last few years speak for themselves.

Protectionism and corruption of the Spanish Federation being the major reason.

 

[Aguirre]

well, LLS has better climbing skills that Cancellara and there has been specualtions about Spartacus in TdF, so?

LLS has a horse engine, what about his performance last year at Mont Lure at Paris-Nice? etc. etc.

It's just about to wait his explotion both in TT and climbing, to add him to the list of the Wiggings, Kreuziger, Nibali etc.