Rubén Plaza Cyclist
Rubén Plaza Molina (born 29 February 1980 in Ibi) is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for Movistar Team. 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.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. 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.
