Roberto Heras

Infobox Cyclist
ridername=Roberto Heras


image_caption = Heras in 2005
fullname=Roberto Heras Hernández
nickname=King of the Spanish Mountains
dateofbirth=birth date and age|1974|2|1
country=ESP
height= 1.72 m
weight= 59 kg
currentteam=Retired
discipline=Road
role=Rider
ridertype=Climbing specialist
proyears=1997-2000
2001-2003
2004-2005
proteams=Kelme-Costa Blanca
US Postal Service
Liberty Seguros-Würth
majorwins=Vuelta a España (2000, 2003, 2004), 10 stages
Tour de France, 1 stage (TTT)
Giro d'Italia, 1 stage
updated= December 31, 2007

Roberto Heras Hernández (born 1 February 1974 in Béjar, Spain) 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 later disqualified after a urine sample during that year's Vuelta tested positive for the banned drug EPO.

Early career

Heras turned professional in 1995 racing for the Spanish cycling team Kelme. His first win as a pro came in 1996, when he won the Subida al Naranco, and later that year he also took an important victory in the twelfth stage of the Vuelta a España. Next year he won yet 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, where he was third despite not winning any stage. In 2000 he took two stages and the overall win at the Vuelta, which attracted the attention of US Postal cycling team.

Riding with Lance Armstrong

From 2001, he raced alongside Lance Armstrong on the US Postal Service team. As a climbing specialist, he greatly assisted Armstrong's progress in the mountain stages of the Tour de France. Heras achieved his highest finishing position to date in the 2000 Tour when he was fifth.

Dominating the Vuelta a España

He had, however, already established himself as a contender for leading honours in other Tours. He was fifth overall and a stage winner in the 1997 Vuelta, sixth (and another stage victory) a year later, and was on the podium in third place in 1999; that year he also finished sixth and won a stage in the Giro d'Italia. 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 the 2003 season, he left US Postal to become the leader of the Spanish Liberty Seguros team. He was thought to be a contender for the 2004 Tour de France, but was forced to abandon after the 16th stage due to lack of fitness [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/special_events/cycling/newsid_3055000/3055469.stm BBC Sports Academy, Roberto Heras' Vuelta mountain guide] ] . Heras entered the Vuelta a España and won it again, thereby equalling Tony Rominger's record of three Vuelta wins. During the first mountain stages of the Vuelta, it seemed it would be a rather easy win for him, but in the last week he had to see off an important challenge from Santiago Pérez.

In the 2005 Vuelta a España was initially also won by Heras. During the Vuelta Heras won two mountain stages (including an epic victory atop the Estación de Esquí de Pajares) and lost the last time trial by only less than a second, something nobody expected from the non-time-trial-specialist Heras. Heras was crowned as the winner for the fourth time, a new record.

However, a drug test finalized in November 2005, two months after the race's end, showed a positive test for EPO from the day of said time trial (stage 20) [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/nov05/nov25news2 Cycling News, November 2005, Cycling News Flash - Heras confirmed positive] ] . Heras was fired from his team, and faced a two year suspension from racing. He was stripped of his 2005 Vuelta win, which was given to second place finisher, Russian Denis Menchov. Heras appealed this result, alleging inaccuracies in the testing process and mishandling of his samples, but the appeal was rejected.

Heras was planning to comeback to the peloton after his suspension ended in late 2007 but ProTour rules stated that he couldn't join a ProTour team for the next two years even after his suspension ends. At the end of 2007 he announced his retirement.

Accomplishments

All results are general classification (overall) rankings unless otherwise indicated:

;Brompton World Championships: 2008 - 2nd

;Vuelta a España:: 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 doping after finishing 1st; Stage 6 and 15 wins

;Tour de France:: 2000 - 5th: 2001 - 15th: 2002 - 9th: 2003 - 34th; Stage 4 (TTT) win: 2004 - DNF: 2005 - 45th

;Giro d'Italia: 1999 - 6th; Stage 21 win

;Volta a Catalunya: 1999 - 2nd; Stage 6 win: 2002 - 1st

ee also

* List of doping cases in cycling
*List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References