Sanchez wins Tour of Basque Country

Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez won the Tour of Basque Country by overtaking fellow Spanish cyclist Joaquin Rodriguez during the final stage on Saturday.

Sanchez, riding for local favorite Euskatel-Euskadi, rode through steady rainfall to clock the fastest mark in the 11.7-mile time trial around the medieval village of Onati.

Rodriguez was the overall runner-up 12 seconds back, while Bauke Mollema of the Netherlands was third.

Rodriguez entered the sixth and final day nine seconds ahead of Sanchez. But the Movistar rider finished the stage in sixth place, 21 seconds off the winning pace.

The 34-year-old Sanchez came in third in the event both in 2007 and 2009.