Sanchez lauds Spain's sport success

BEIJING (Reuters) - Spain's Samuel Sanchez, winner of the men's cycling road race on Saturday, said his country was enjoying a "golden era of sport" and he hoped his victory would be just the beginning of Spain's Olympic success.

Spain won Euro 2008 soccer and French Open and Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal is at the top of his tennis game. Spanish cyclists have won the past three Tour de France races as well as the Giro d'Italia in June.

"I think it would be fair to say Spain is really going through something of a 'golden era' of sport," Sanchez, 30, told reporters after the 245-km race out to the Great Wall. "I think sport in Spain is very much up there at the top."

Sanchez praised his teammates for working well together to ensure a good start to Spain's medal hopes.

"I think we worked perfectly. We knew how to stay together as a group," said Sanchez, who said that although he was not the favorite for the race, like his compatriot Alejandro Valverde, he knew he was in very good shape coming into the competition.

"I think that Spain performed as a real team," he said. "I hope my gold medal serves as a fire (under the team) and opens the door for many more."

"My biggest fear was how we would manage to control the race as a team," he said. "I was worried also about the weather: the humidity, the heat and possible dehydration."

Although Sanchez did not appear worried at all after the six and a half hour race.

He came into the news conference in a playful mood. After seeing all the reporters gathered in the room he stood on the dais, turned around and held his hand out to take a picture of himself -- giving a thumbs up and wearing the gold medal -- with the media in the background.

He also practiced his Chinese, drawing laughs when he gave the Chinese greeting "ni hao" to a local reporter who asked his thoughts about the course.