Carlos Sastre: Rider Profile

CARLOS SASTRE

Date of birth: 22/04/75

From: Madrid, Spain

Team: Geox-TMC

Previous teams: Cervélo Test Team (2009-2010); CSC (2002-2008), ONCE (1998-2001)

Carlos Sastre career profile

Spanish veteran Carlos Sastre's victory in the Tour de France in July 2008 came after six years in which he has ridden 18 major Tours - but never won one.

A regular podium finisher in all three major stage races, Sastre has notched up just six wins in a career stretching back to 1998. But he finally hit the bullseye this summer after attacking on Alpe d'Huez, taking a lone win, and then successfully defending that lead in the final time trial against Australian Cadel Evans.

Sastre started his career with ONCE, but decided to leave at the end of 2001 after team manager Manolo Saiz refused to give him a leader's role. In CSC Sastre came into his own in 2006, when he took third in the Tour and fourth in the Tour of Spain.

After falling out with team manager Bjarne Riis during the Tour of Spain, Sastre changed teams in 2009, moving on from CSC-Saxo Bank to new squad Cervélo, but was unable to defend his Tour title, but placed forth in the Giro.

He rode all three Grand Tours in 2010, finishing eighth in both the Giro and the Vuelta, but struggled in the Tour de France and finished 20th.

Sastre signed for the Pro Continental Geox - TMC team in 2011.

Carlos Sastre results

2009

Giro d'Italia; stage 16

Giro d'Italia; stage 19

2008

Tour de France; stage

Tour de France; overall

2006Clasica Primavera

2003

Tour de France; stage

2001

Tour of Burgos; stage

Carlos Sastre photos

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RELATED LINKS

Cycling Weekly's Rider Profiles: Index