Roberto Heras
Encyclopedia
Roberto Heras Hernández (born 1 February 1974) is a Spanish
former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España
(Tour of Spain) a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO
. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court of Castilla y León. However, it is not yet clear whether the court was competent in awarding the victory to Heras.
Kelme. His first win as a pro came in 1996 in the Subida al Naranco
. Later that year he won the 12th stage of the Vuelta a España. Next year he won another stage at the Vuelta and the Clásica de Amorebieta. In 1999 he won stages at the Volta a Catalunya and the Giro d'Italia
, and he stood for the first time on the Vuelta's podium, third despite not winning a stage. In 2000 he took two stages and the overall win, which attracted the US Postal cycling team.
on the US Postal Service team. As a climbing specialist, he assisted Armstrong in the mountain
stages of the Tour de France
. Heras achieved his highest position in the 2000 Tour when he was fifth. Heras was at some point of the 2002 Tour de France strong enough to finish 2nd to Armstrong in the 12th stage, in front of Armstrong's main rival of that year, Joseba Beloki
of the O.N.C.E - Eroski team.
. His first Vuelta win came the following year, 2000 (when he also won two stages and the points classification). This was in 2003 followed by another victory in the Vuelta a España
At the end of 2003, he left US Postal to lead the Spanish Liberty Seguros team. He was thought to be a contender for the 2004 Tour de France but abandoned after the 16th stage due to lack of fitness. Heras entered the Vuelta a España
and won, equalling Tony Rominger
's record three wins. During the first mountain stages, it seemed an easy win but in the last week he had a challenge from Santiago Pérez
.
In the 2005 Vuelta a España Heras won two mountain stages (including the Estación de Esquí de Pajares) and lost the last time trial by less than a second, something nobody expected from the non-time-trial-specialist Heras. Heras won for the fourth time, a record.
However, a drug test in November 2005, two months after the race, showed a positive test for EPO
from the day of time trial (stage 20). Heras was fired and faced a two-year suspension. His Vuelta win was given to second place finisher, Russian Denis Menchov
. Heras appealed, alleging inaccuracies in the testing and mishandling of his samples, he was rejected.
Vuelta a España
:
Tour de France
:
Giro d'Italia
Volta a Catalunya
Brompton World Championships
WD = Withdrew
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
(Tour of Spain) a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court of Castilla y León. However, it is not yet clear whether the court was competent in awarding the victory to Heras.
Early career
Heras turned professional in 1995 for the Spanish cycling teamCycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
Kelme. His first win as a pro came in 1996 in the Subida al Naranco
Subida al Naranco
Subida al Naranco is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in early June each year. The event was first run in 1941 but was not held consistently until 1981. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
. Later that year he won the 12th stage of the Vuelta a España. Next year he won another stage at the Vuelta and the Clásica de Amorebieta. In 1999 he won stages at the Volta a Catalunya and the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, and he stood for the first time on the Vuelta's podium, third despite not winning a stage. In 2000 he took two stages and the overall win, which attracted the US Postal cycling team.
Riding with Lance Armstrong
From 2001, he raced alongside Lance ArmstrongLance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
on the US Postal Service team. As a climbing specialist, he assisted Armstrong in the mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
stages of the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. Heras achieved his highest position in the 2000 Tour when he was fifth. Heras was at some point of the 2002 Tour de France strong enough to finish 2nd to Armstrong in the 12th stage, in front of Armstrong's main rival of that year, Joseba Beloki
Joseba Beloki
Joseba Beloki Dorronsoro is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer.-Biography:Beloki turned professional in 1998 with Euskaltel-Euskadi, joined Festina in 2000, and then Team ONCE in 2001...
of the O.N.C.E - Eroski team.
Dominating the Vuelta a España
He had, however, already established himself as a contender for honours in other Tours. He was fifth and a stage winner in the 1997 Vuelta, sixth (and another stage victory) a year later, and third in 1999; that year he finished sixth and won a stage in the Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
. His first Vuelta win came the following year, 2000 (when he also won two stages and the points classification). This was in 2003 followed by another victory in the Vuelta a España
2003 Vuelta a España
The 58th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 6 to September 28, 2003...
At the end of 2003, he left US Postal to lead the Spanish Liberty Seguros team. He was thought to be a contender for the 2004 Tour de France but abandoned after the 16th stage due to lack of fitness. Heras entered the Vuelta a España
2004 Vuelta a España
The 59th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 4 to September 26, 2004...
and won, equalling Tony Rominger
Tony Rominger
Tony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother...
's record three wins. During the first mountain stages, it seemed an easy win but in the last week he had a challenge from Santiago Pérez
Santiago Pérez (cyclist)
Santiago Pérez Fernández is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for Barbot-Efapel....
.
In the 2005 Vuelta a España Heras won two mountain stages (including the Estación de Esquí de Pajares) and lost the last time trial by less than a second, something nobody expected from the non-time-trial-specialist Heras. Heras won for the fourth time, a record.
However, a drug test in November 2005, two months after the race, showed a positive test for EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
from the day of time trial (stage 20). Heras was fired and faced a two-year suspension. His Vuelta win was given to second place finisher, Russian Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
. Heras appealed, alleging inaccuracies in the testing and mishandling of his samples, he was rejected.
Accomplishments
All results are general classification (overall) rankings unless otherwise indicated:Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
:
- 1997 - 5th; Stage 12 win
- 1998 - 6th; Stage 19 win
- 1999 - 3rd
- 2000 -
1st; Stage 7 and 20 wins - 2001 - 4th
- 2002 - 2nd; Stage 6 and 15 wins
- 2003 - 1st; Stage 20 win
- 2004 - 1st; Stage 12 win
- 2005: - Disqualified for dopingDoping (sport)The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
after finishing 1st; Stage 6 and 15 wins
Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
:
- 20002000 Tour de FranceThe 2000 Tour de France was the 87th Tour de France, and took place from July 1 to July 23, 2000. It was won by American cyclist Lance Armstrong. The Tour started with an individual time trial in Futuroscope and ended traditionally in Paris. The distance travelled was 3662.5 km...
- 5th - 20012001 Tour de FranceThe 2001 Tour de France was particularly difficult, having contained a 67-km long team time trial, two individual time trials and five mountain-top finishes on consecutive days, the second of which being the Chamrousse special category climb time trial. Thus, all the high-mountain stages were...
- 15th - 20022002 Tour de FranceThe 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps...
- 9th - 20032003 Tour de FranceThe 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages...
- 34th; Stage 4 (Team time trial) win - 20042004 Tour de FranceThe 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and...
- DNF - 20052005 Tour de FranceThe 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
- 45th
Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
- 1999 - 6th; Stage 21 win
Volta a Catalunya
- 1999 - 2nd; Stage 6 win
- 2002 - 1st
Brompton World Championships
Brompton World Championships
The Brompton World Championship was first held in 2006, established by the Spanish importer of Brompton bicycles. The first two championship races were held in Barcelona, with the third and subsequent races held in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, England....
- 2009 - 1st
- 2008 - 2nd
Grand Tours overall classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
– | – | 5 2008 Giro d'Italia The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team... |
– | – | – | – | – | – |
 Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... |
– | – | – | 5 2000 Tour de France The 2000 Tour de France was the 87th Tour de France, and took place from July 1 to July 23, 2000. It was won by American cyclist Lance Armstrong. The Tour started with an individual time trial in Futuroscope and ended traditionally in Paris. The distance travelled was 3662.5 km... |
15 2001 Tour de France The 2001 Tour de France was particularly difficult, having contained a 67-km long team time trial, two individual time trials and five mountain-top finishes on consecutive days, the second of which being the Chamrousse special category climb time trial. Thus, all the high-mountain stages were... |
9 2002 Tour de France The 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps... |
34 2003 Tour de France The 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages... |
WD 2004 Tour de France The 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and... |
45 2005 Tour de France The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was... |
 Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
5 1997 Vuelta a España The 52nd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 6 to September 28, 1997. It consisted of 22 stages covering a total of 3,773 km, and was won by Alex Zülle of the ONCE cycling team.-Stages:-Final General Classification... |
6 1998 Vuelta a España The 53rd edition of the Vuelta a España was held 5 to 27 September 1998 and began in Córdoba and ended in Madrid. The 1998 Vuelta had 22 stages over 3,774 km with the winning average speed of 40.262 km/h.... |
3 1999 Vuelta a España The 1999 Vuelta a España was the 54th Vuelta a España, taking place from September 4 starting in Murcia and finishing in Madrid on September 26, 1999. It consisted of 21 stages over 3576 km, ridden at an average speed of 39.449 km/h. The favourites were Laurent Jalabert, Alex Zülle, Jan... |
1 2000 Vuelta a España The 55th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from August 26 to September 17, 2000. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 2,904 km, and was won by Roberto Heras of the cycling team.-External links:**... |
4 2001 Vuelta a España The 56th Vuelta a España , a long-distance stage race and one of the 3 Grand Tours, was held from September 8 to September 30, 2001... |
2 2002 Vuelta a España The 57th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 7 to September 29, 2002... |
1 2003 Vuelta a España The 58th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 6 to September 28, 2003... |
1 2004 Vuelta a España The 59th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 4 to September 26, 2004... |
DSQ |
WD = Withdrew
See also
- List of doping cases in cycling
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences