Plaza retires aged 39 after Il Lombardia

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Spain’s former double national champion, Rubén Plaza, a stage winner at the Vuelta a España and Tour de France, has opted to retire after a career spanning nearly 20 years and with 26 victories to his name.

The 39-year-old, who has ridden for Israel Cycling Academy for the past two seasons, competed for the final time at Il Lombardia on Saturday, where he did not finish. 

Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.