León Sánchez aims at Paris-Nice

By Antonio J. Salmerón

The year 2006 was difficult in many ways for 23 year old Luis León Sanchez, but that page has been turned, and now he will start the new year with a new team and new goals. “I usually begin the season in very good state of competitive form, so for 2007 that won't be different. And, in this sense, it's a time for getting an important stage victory such as one in Paris-Nice”, Sanchez said in an interview published by the local daily newspaper El Faro de Murcia.

The young and promising Caisse d'Epargné-Illes Balears rider will have a calendar similar to that of 2006, but will have to make a difficult choice for his first major stage race of the year between Paris-Nice and Vuelta a Murcia which overlap by one day. "I have been in Paris-Nice twice before, and I felt good sensations. But, at the same time, the Vuelta a Murcia will take place in my region - I don't know what I'll do. I would like to win a stage in Paris-Nice, but as well as in Murcia".

León Sánchez will then move on to the spring classics, such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Amstel Gold Race and Fleche-Wallone. "They will allow me to arrive at the Tour of France with guarantees to confront the long stages of the first week. I do not think of getting any victories in them at the moment", León Sánchez commented.

It is clear that León Sánchez will compete in the next Tour of France. "I participated in the Tour of France 2005, and now I will return to help Valverde or Pereiro to win it", he said. León Sánchez is set to begin the new season with the Caisse d'Epargné-Illes Balears team in the Challenge de Mallorca, at the beginning of February.