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 , (over three spells) and 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 since 2021, and for UCI ProTeam , 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 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 team, Plaza returned to , 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
Notes
References
External links
1980 births
Living people
People from Alcoià
Sportspeople from the Province of Alicante
Spanish male cyclists
Spanish Vuelta a España stage winners
Cyclists from the Valencian Community
Spanish Tour de France stage winners
S.L. Benfica (cycling)