Juan José Cobo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Juan José Cobo

Cobo at the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné
Personal information
Full name	Juan José Cobo Acebo
Nickname	El Bisonte de La Pesa
Born	(1981-02-21) 21 February 1981 (age 44) Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	69 kg (152 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climber/Time-Trialist
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 1 individual stage (2008) Stage Races Tour of the Basque Country (2007)

Juan José Cobo Acebo (born on February 21, 1981) is a retired professional road racing cyclist from Spain. He was known as a strong climber and also good at time trial races.

He won the 2011 Vuelta a España while riding for the Geox–TMC team. This was his biggest win. However, in July 2019, some of his race results, including this win, were changed due to rule violations.

About Juan José Cobo

Early Career and First Steps

Juan José Cobo started his cycling journey early. In 2003, he won the Spanish under-23 time-trial championships. This was a big achievement for a young rider. He was chosen to represent Spain in important international races. These included the European Championships in Athens and the World Championships in Canada. At the European Championships, he finished fourth. Later that year, he joined a professional team called Vini Caldirola as a trainee.

Becoming a Professional Cyclist

In 2004, Cobo officially became a professional cyclist. He joined a new Spanish team, Saunier Duval–Prodir. His best result that year was finishing ninth in the Japan Cup. In 2005, he took part in his first "Grand Tour" race, the Giro d'Italia. Grand Tours are the most famous and longest cycling races.

Big Wins and Challenges

In 2007, Cobo had a fantastic year. He won the Tour of the Basque Country. He won two stages in that race. He also led the race for a while. After this, he rode in the Tour de France. He finished 20th overall, which was a good result.

In 2008, he continued to show his strength. He finished second in a tough mountain stage of the Tour de France at Hautacam. His teammate, Leonardo Piepoli, won that stage. Later, Cobo was given the stage win because Piepoli's result was changed. Cobo's team had to leave the Tour de France early that year.

Leading His Team

By 2009, Cobo became a team leader for Fuji-Servetto. He finished 10th in the Vuelta a España. He also won a stage in that race. He represented Spain in the World Championships for time trials.

The 2011 Vuelta a España

In 2011, Cobo's team, Geox–TMC, got a special invitation to the Vuelta a España. He was supposed to help his team leader, Denis Menchov. But Cobo surprised everyone. He won the 15th stage, which ended on the very steep Angliru climb. This win made him the leader of the race.

Cobo held onto the lead for the rest of the race. He fought off strong challenges from Chris Froome, who finished second. Froome was only 13 seconds behind him. Cobo retired from cycling after the 2014 season.

Changes to Race Results

On June 18, 2019, it was announced that some of Cobo's past race results would be changed. This was based on information from his biological passport, which helps monitor athletes' health and performance. As a result, his win at the 2011 Vuelta a España was removed. Also, his 10th place at the 2009 Vuelta was changed.

Career Highlights

Main Achievements

Grand Tour Results Over the Years

Grand Tour	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Giro d'Italia	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	116
Tour de France	—	—	20	DNF	—	—	—	30	—
Vuelta a España	—	DNF	—	—	10	—	1	67	—

See also

In Spanish: Juanjo Cobo para niños