Rubén Plaza


Rubén Plaza Molina is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2019 for the, S.L. Benfica,, ,, and teams. During his career, he recorded a top 5 overall placing in the 2005 Vuelta a España, and won three Grand Tour stages.

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 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.

Career achievements

Major results

;1997
;1998
;2003
;2004
;2005
;2006
;2007
;2008
;2009
;2010
;2012
;2013
;2015
;2018
;2019

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Giro d'Italia———————————56304771
Tour de France—————11—10147913072———
Vuelta a España5————14————45————

—Did not compete
DNFDid not finish