# Rubén Plaza

Rubén Plaza Molina (born 29 February 1980) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2019 for the Comunidad Valenciana–Kelme, Benfica, Liberty Seguros, Movistar Team (over three spells), Lampre–Merida, Orica–Scott and Israel Cycling Academy teams. During his career, he recorded a top 5 overall placing in the 2005 Vuelta a España, and won three Grand Tour stages.
Following his retirement, Plaza has worked as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team Israel Premier Tech Academy since 2021, and for UCI ProTeam Israel–Premier Tech, since the start of the 2023 season.

## Career

Plaza was born in Ibi, Spain. In 2006 he was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case, 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. 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.
In 2015, he won Stage 16 of the Tour de France, his second Grand Tour stage win.
In 2015, he also won Stage 20 of the Vuelta a España. He was named in the start list for the 2016 Giro d'Italia.

## Major results

Source:

### 1997

    National Junior Road Championships
       1st Road race
       3rd Time trial

### 1998

    1st Time trial, National Junior Road Championships

### 2003

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Stage 5 Regio-Tour

### 2004

    1st Stage 5 (ITT) Troféu 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 Grande Prémio Internacional Costa Azul
       1st Mountains classification
       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 Troféu Joaquim Agostinho
       1st Stage 1
    9th Subida a Urkiola

### 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 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
    4th Overall Circuit de Lorraine
       1st Stage 3

### 2010

    3rd Time trial, National Road Championships
    10th Overall Tour de France

### 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

### 2018

    1st Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
       1st Stage 3
    9th Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia

### 2019

    6th Overall Tour of Antalya
    10th GP Miguel Induráin

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | 30 | 47 | 71 |
| Tour de France | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | 101 | 47 | 91 | 30 | 72 | — | — | — |
| Vuelta a España | 5 | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |