Roberto Heras facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Roberto Heras

Heras at the 2005 Vuelta a España
Personal information
Full name	Roberto Heras Hernández
Born	(1974-02-01) 1 February 1974 (age 51) Béjar, Spain
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight	59 kg (130 lb; 9 st 4 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climbing specialist
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 1 TTT stage (2003) Giro d'Italia 1 individual stage (1999) Vuelta a España General classification (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005) Points classification (2000) Combination classification (2002, 2004) 10 individual stages (1997, 1998, 2000, 2002–2005) Stage races Volta a Catalunya (2002)

Roberto Heras Hernández (born on February 1, 1974) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He is famous for winning the Vuelta a España cycling race a record four times.

Between 1997 and 2005, Roberto Heras almost always finished in the top 5 of the Vuelta. He won the race three times, tying a record. Then, he broke the record with a fourth win in 2005. However, he was later disqualified after a test showed a banned substance. Heras decided to challenge this decision, which led to a long court case.

In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed his disqualification in a civil court. This decision was confirmed by the Spanish supreme court in December 2012. Because of this, the Spanish cycling federation gave Heras back his title as the 2005 Vuelta champion.

Roberto Heras's Early Cycling Career

Roberto Heras became a professional cyclist in 1995. He joined the Spanish cycling team called Kelme. His first win as a professional rider was in 1996 at the Subida al Naranco race.

Later that same year, he won a stage in the Vuelta a España. The next year, he won another stage at the Vuelta and the Clásica de Amorebieta. In 1999, he won stages in the Volta a Catalunya and the Giro d'Italia. He also reached the podium for the first time at the Vuelta, finishing third. In 2000, he won two stages and the overall race at the Vuelta. This success caught the attention of the US Postal team.

Riding with Lance Armstrong's Team

From 2001, Roberto Heras rode alongside Lance Armstrong on the US Postal Service team. Heras was known as a climbing specialist. This meant he was very good at riding uphill. He helped Armstrong a lot in the mountain stages of the Tour de France.

Heras achieved his best result in the Tour de France in 2000, finishing fifth overall. In the 2002 Tour de France, Heras played a key role. During stage 11, he set a very fast pace on the Tourmalet mountain. This pace was so strong that many of Armstrong's rivals fell behind. Heras's effort helped Armstrong take the lead in the race. The next day, Heras again set a fast pace, helping Armstrong maintain his lead.

Winning the Vuelta a España Multiple Times

Roberto Heras had already shown he was a strong rider in other big races. In 1997, he finished fifth in the Vuelta and won a stage. A year later, he was sixth and won another stage. In 1999, he finished third. That same year, he also finished sixth and won a stage in the Giro d'Italia.

His first overall win at the Vuelta came in 2000. He also won two stages and the points classification that year. He won the Vuelta again in 2003. At the end of 2003, he left the US Postal team to lead the Spanish Liberty Seguros team.

In the 2004 Vuelta a España, Heras won again. This win tied him with Tony Rominger for a record three Vuelta victories. He faced a strong challenge from Santiago Pérez in the final week but held on to win.

In the 2005 Vuelta a España, Heras won two mountain stages. He also had a surprisingly strong performance in the final time trial, losing by less than a second. Heras won the Vuelta for the fourth time, setting a new record.

However, a drug test taken in November 2005, two months after the race, showed a banned substance. This test was from the day of the time trial (stage 20). Heras was removed from his team and faced a two-year ban. His 2005 Vuelta win was then given to the second-place finisher, Denis Menchov.

Heras fought the decision, saying there were mistakes in the testing. He appealed this decision in a civil court in Spain and won. The Spanish cycling federation appealed to the Spanish supreme court. But in December 2012, the supreme court confirmed the earlier decision. Because of this, the Spanish cycling federation gave Heras back his title as the 2005 champion. Heras later sued the federation for money he lost. In January 2016, Heras was awarded €724,000 in compensation. This decision was confirmed again in May 2017.

Roberto Heras's Career Achievements

Major Results

Grand Tour Race Results

Grand Tour	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Giro d'Italia	—	—	5	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tour de France	—	—	—	5	15	9	34	DNF	45
/ Vuelta a España	5	6	3	1	4	2	1	1	1

See also

In Spanish: Roberto Heras para niños

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