Having finished his season by helping Philippe Gilbert winning the Tour of Beijing, Samuel Sanchez makes a positive balance after his first year with BMC. The Spaniard hopes that he will be able to sign a new contract with his current squad.

Samuel Sanchez ended his season at the Tour of Beijing and did so with the satisfaction of seeing Philippe Gilbert on the top step of the podium. In 2014 he adapted to a role as a luxury domestique for the Belgian, Cadel Evans and Tejay Van Garderen at the BMC Racing Team and also took his own opportunities.

With a sixth place in the Vuelta a Espana and fifth in Il Lombardia, the Spaniard finished with a good taste. He is now confident that these results will allow him to renew with BMC or find a spot in another team. 

"For me, the season has been very good: I have done everything I have been asked to do," he said after the Chinese race. "I have taken responsibility when I was asked to do so, like in the Vuelta a Espana and other races, and I have helped my teammates like Cadel, Philippe and Tejay in important races. I have been at Philippe's side in all his victories and I am very pleased with this first season in the team."

With Gilbert winning the last race of the season, BMC ended the year successfully.

"It's the best way to end the season, winning a stage and the general classification and finishing second in the WorldTour teams ranking," Sanchez said. "We are all very happy because the team worked from the first day to the last. Congratulations to Philippe and all the staff members who were here in Beijing."

After 13 seasons as part of the Euskaltel-Euskadi team, Sanchez signed for BMC Racing Team in February and did not debut until the Tour Haut Var. He was unable to fight for victory in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco but was third in the queen stage to Arrate. Then he helped Gilbert in the Ardennes and Evans in the Giro d'Italia (finishing 24th). In the second part of the season, he was 12th in Poland and was close to the best in the Vuelta, finishing sixth behind Contador, Froome, Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and Aru. However, he missed out on selection for the Worlds but he finished strongly with fifth in Lombardy and a support role for Gilbert in Beijing.