Rubén Plaza

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Plaza and the second or maternal family name is Molina.

Rubén Plaza Molina (born 29 February 1980) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer,^[3] 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.

Rubén Plaza

Plaza at the 2010 Tour de France
Personal information
Full name	Rubén Plaza Molina
Nickname	El Professore
Born	(1980-02-29) 29 February 1980 (age 45) Ibi, Spain
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	77 kg (170 lb; 12.1 st)
Team information
Current team	Israel–Premier Tech Israel Premier Tech Academy
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider (retired) Directeur sportif
Rider type	Climber
Amateur team
1999–2000	Banesto amateur
Professional teams
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
2016–2017	Orica–GreenEDGE
2018–2019	Israel Cycling Academy[1][2]
Managerial teams
2021–	Israel Cycling Academy
2023–	Israel–Premier Tech
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 1 individual stage (2015) Vuelta a España 2 individual stages (2005, 2015) Stage races Vuelta a Castilla y León (2013, 2018) Single-day races and Classics National Road Race Championships (2003, 2009)

Following his retirement, Plaza has worked as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team Israel Premier Tech Academy since 2021,^[4] and for UCI ProTeam Israel–Premier Tech,^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

In 2015, he won Stage 16 of the Tour de France, his second Grand Tour stage win.^[8]

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.^[9]

Major results

Source:^[10]

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^[a]

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

Notes

1. 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.