Rubén Plaza
 Plaza at the 2010 Tour de France | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rubén Plaza Molina |
| Born |
29 February 1980 Ibi, Spain |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb; 12.1 st) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Orica–Scott |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Climber |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 2001–2003 | iBanesto.com |
| 2004–2006 | Comunidad Valenciana–Kelme |
| 2007 | Caisse d'Epargne |
| 2008 | Benfica |
| 2009 | Liberty Seguros |
| 2010–2014 | Caisse d'Epargne |
| 2015 | Lampre–Merida |
| 2016– | Orica–Scott |
| Major wins | |
| |
Rubén Plaza Molina (born 29 February 1980) is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for Orica–Scott.[1] He turned professional in 2001 with iBanesto.com, before moving to Comunidad Valenciana–Kelme. Here he enjoyed his greatest success, with a stage win and a top 5 overall placing in the 2005 Vuelta a España.
Career
Plaza was born in Ibi, Spain. In 2006 he was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping scandal, but was later acquitted of any involvement. Nevertheless, after an abridged 2007 season with Caisse d'Epargne he spent 2008 and 2009 with smaller Continental level teams in Portugal. Despite this, in 2009 he was able to take his second victory in the Spanish national championships, before finishing 4th overall in the Volta a Portugal, a result which was later upgraded to 3rd by the disqualification of his Liberty Seguros teammate Nuno Ribeiro for a doping violation.[2] The simultaneous positive tests of two of the team's other riders caused the team to disband, leaving Plaza without a ride for 2010. Despite being linked to the Astana team, Plaza returned to Caisse d'Epargne, the signing made official in December 2009.[3]
In 2015, he won Stage 16 of the Tour de France, his second Grand Tour stage win.[4]
In 2015, he also won Stage 20 of the Vuelta de España. He was named in the start list for the 2016 Giro d'Italia.[5]
Career achievements
Major results
- 1997
- 1st
Road race, National Under–19 Road Championships - 2003
- 1st Road race, National Road Championships
- 1st Stage 5 Regio-Tour
- 2004
- 1st Stage 5 (ITT) Trofeú Joaquim Agostinho
- 3rd Trofeo Cala Millor
- 4th Overall Vuelta a Murcia
- 6th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- 10th Circuito de Getxo
- 2005
- 1st
Overall GP Costa Azul
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Overall Vuelta a Aragón
- 1st Stage 4 (ITT)
- 1st Stage 2 Vuelta a Murcia
- 3rd Time trial, National Road Championships
- 4th Time trial, UCI Road World Championships
- 5th Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 20 (ITT)
- 5th Klasika Primavera
- 6th Overall Critérium International
- 2006
- 1st Clásica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a La Rioja
- 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
- 4th Overall Vuelta a Asturias
- 1st Stage 5
- 4th Overall Trofeú Joaquim Agostinho
- 1st Stage 1
- 2007
- 1st Overall Vuelta a La Rioja
- 4th Overall Clásica Internacional de Alcobendas
- 5th Overall Euskal Bizikleta
- 10th Overall Vuelta a Burgos
- 2008
- 1st Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- 1st Stage 1 (ITT) Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid
- 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
- 3rd Overall Volta a Portugal
- 1st Prologue
- 9th Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 2009
- National Road Championships
- 1st Road race
- 3rd Time trial
- 1st
- 1st Stage 2 GP CTT Correios de Portugal
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a Murcia
- 1st Stage 4
- 3rd Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 3rd Overall Volta a Portugal
- 1st Stage 6[lower-alpha 1]
- 4th Overall Circuit de Lorraine
- 1st Stage 3
- 2010
- 3rd Time trial, National Road Championships
- 2012
- 10th Overall Circuit de la Sarthe
- 2013
- 1st Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
- 1st Stage 3
- 3rd Time trial, National Road Championships
- 4th Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid
- 6th Overall Route du Sud
- 9th Overall Vuelta a Asturias
- 2015
- 1st Stage 16 Tour de France
- Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 20
Combativity award Stage 20
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | 30 |
| Tour de France |
— | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | 101 | 47 | 91 | 30 | 72 | — |
 Vuelta a España |
5 | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | — |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
Notes
- ↑ The original winner, Eladio Jiménez, was later suspended for use of EPO and testosterone. The victory was awarded to Plaza, who had originally finished second.
References
- ↑ "Plaza at Procyclingstats.com". Procyclingstats.com. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ↑ http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ribeiro-nozal-and-guerra-positive-for-cera
- ↑ http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ruben-plaza-returns-to-caisse-depargne
- ↑ "Tour de France stage 16: Plaza gives Lampre-Merida a win in Gap". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ↑ "99th Giro d'Italia Startlist". Pro Cycling Stats. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
External links
Media related to Rubén Plaza at Wikimedia Commons
- Rubén Plaza at ProCyclingStats
- Rubén Plaza at Cycling Archives
- Rubén Plaza at Cycling Quotient
- Rubén Plaza at ProCyclingStats
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alejandro Valverde |
Spanish National Road Race Champion 2009 |
Succeeded by José Ivan Gutierrez |