jose rujano

[aarnold517]

New article about rujano's big plans for the giro:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rujano-plans-for-big-return-in-giro-ditalia

This is a guy who finished third and won the KOM in the giro in 2005, then fell off the map for a few years before really resurfacing this year with wins in the Vueltas a Tachira, Colombia, and Venezuela. Plus, next years mountainous course really suits his traits, and he already finished sixth in the plan de corones stage in 08 despite not having as good of form as he has all this past year. In addition, the guy is still on 27. He still has his "peak" years in front of him. So what does everyone expect from jose rujano?

Personally, i would not be surprised if he won a stage and the KOM in the giro while placing in the top ten. He has some incredible talent, now he just needs to put it all together in europe.

 

[auscyclefan94]

He could win a KOM or a mountain stage but anything else, i don't think so... he's too small to be a gt rider. I fear he actually may snap.

 

[forty four]

too tiny i think top ten and kom is doable but an overall win would be hard to come by. i cant see him doing a tt very fast but you never know contadors tt ability this year was not expected by most.

 

[issoisso]

"José can be dominant in this sport if someone can get his head to focus. But I don't think anyone can do that" - Gianni Savio

too tiny i think top ten and kom is doable but an overall win would be hard to come by. i cant see him doing a tt very fast but you never know contadors tt ability this year was not expected by most.

From this year's Giro candidates only Leipheimer and Menchov can TT better than him. Make no mistake, he's pretty good against the clock.

 

[blackcat]

was a rider in the individual pursuit.

he is not as bad in the chrono as his weight and height would indicate.

I would disagree with Issoisso, on his comparitive ability. You see guys like Heras win chronos when they are defending GCs. Funny thing about riders like Diluca, they can pull out chronos when they need to minimise the loss. Pellizotti winning a mtn chrono, who'da thunk it. Bruseghin tt'ing dominance. Solid tt'er and Italian champ, but, really pulled out a few good rides.

Don't think Jose Rujano can tt like the above riders, those riders who aint LL or Menchov, but he can minimise his losses.

 

[python]

one but important rujano problem is unfairness of the uci rules co bicycle weight limit. i am barely kidding b/c it hiders him in tts and mnts.
do the proportions and it become obvious - a 48 k rider is at a significant disadvantage compared to a 72 k when riding uphill the same 6.9 k bike. top climbers are normally beefier than him too by about 10 k. all considered the tiny dude is amazing

 

[blackcat]

he could quite easily petition the UCI or take them to the court of arbitration.

most of the componentry are the same however, the gruppos and wheels. He would have to seek to drop weight on the specialist componentry like you see on weightweenies.

He should be able to ride a 6kg bike. Does not make much a difference in the chrono, once the bike is up to momentum, dont think the power issue is different. Just acceleration issue.

 

[hfer07]

one but important rujano problem is unfairness of the uci rules co bicycle weight limit. i am barely kidding b/c it hiders him in tts and mnts.
do the proportions and it become obvious - a 48 k rider is at a significant disadvantage compared to a 72 k when riding uphill the same 6.9 k bike. top climbers are normally beefier than him too by about 10 k. all considered the tiny dude is amazing

'Do you know what is his height? - he's 1.62 mts- which equals the proportion used for pure climbers ( 10 to 12 kilos minus total height).
when he referred to the 3 years time wasted in European Teams, I totally agree with him- usually South American talent is often used to serve only as a domestic, and when they get spent, they get removed from the teams like crap-so I hope he gets the credit he deserves in Europe this time around!!!

 

[karlboss]

I remember when he was riding for unibet he rode aluminium instead of carbon to have his bike hit 6.8kg.

 

[issoisso]

'Do you know what is his height? - he's 1.62 mts- which equals the proportion used for pure climbers ( 10 to 12 kilos minus total height).
when he referred to the 3 years time wasted in European Teams, I totally agree with him- usually South American talent is often used to serve only as a domestic, and when they get spent, they get removed from the teams like crap-so I hope he gets the credit he deserves in Europe this time around!!!

He was referring to how he was given leadership at Selle Italia, QuickStep, Unibet and Caisse and every time he squandered it by not taking it seriously and barely training.

And in Selle Italia's case, also by scamming the team.

 

[lagartija]

just beating the drum here.......the little guy can chrono , always has been able to put up descent times, go figure.........and we know he can climb

i think he is disadvantaged as far as his bike goes, in the last few years most bike comp. have released bikes well under UCI minimum ,with all but the biggest of riders having to add weight to there rigs to meet the standard.....many,many, pros dont ride the lightest pedals or bottle cages, some placing metal sleeves in the bottom brackets , steal bolts replacing TI , and now bikes are so light you dont need to remove your power meters, once only used in training like cycle opps hubs......a guy that small , riding maybe a 48 or 46 sloping , they have to hang all sorts of weight on his rig.........im not huge , riding a 54 , granted everything on this rig is highend , but it doesnt meet UCI regulations even with my training wheels on......and you can forget about it when i throw on the carbon tubulars...........
i guess what im saying is the UCI need to recognize technological advances made , and there draconian regulations have absolutely nothing at all to do with safety.........

 

[blackcat]

just beating the drum here.......the little guy can chrono , always has been able to put up descent times, go figure.........and we know he can climb

i think he is disadvantaged as far as his bike goes, in the last few years most bike comp. have released bikes well under UCI minimum ,with all but the biggest of riders having to add weight to there rigs to meet the standard.....many,many, pros dont ride the lightest pedals or bottle cages, some placing metal sleeves in the bottom brackets , steal bolts replacing TI , and now bikes are so light you dont need to remove your power meters, once only used in training like cycle opps hubs......a guy that small , riding maybe a 48 or 46 sloping , they have to hang all sorts of weight on his rig.........im not huge , riding a 54 , granted everything on this rig is highend , but it doesnt meet UCI regulations even with my training wheels on......and you can forget about it when i throw on the carbon tubulars...........
i guess what im saying is the UCI need to recognize technological advances made , and there draconian regulations have absolutely nothing at all to do with safety.........

ask Savoldelli if he wants a 6.5 kg frame descending.

As Boardman says, every frame that goes up, must also come down. Ofcourse, the preponderance of race finishes are on the mtn top, not the descent, but all stages with mtn passes require a frame that "must go down"

So the UCI should take a look at the guys like Backstedt, Sosenka, Vansummeren and Larsson, and compare em to Rujano. They should have a proportional bike weight. I think Rujano could easily take this to the court of arbitration and get a verdict. It does seem to discriminate.

 

[lagartija]

ask Savoldelli if he wants a 6.5 kg frame descending.

As Boardman says, every frame that goes up, must also come down. Ofcourse, the preponderance of race finishes are on the mtn top, not the descent, but all stages with mtn passes require a frame that "must go down"

So the UCI should take a look at the guys like Backstedt, Sosenka, Vansummeren and Larsson, and compare em to Rujano. They should have a proportional bike weight. I think Rujano could easily take this to the court of arbitration and get a verdict. It does seem to discriminate.

i think we agree here......if i remember correctly paolo rode a 56 , right in the cusp of standard equipment meeting the weight rules ,so the possibility of his rig being''weighted'' exists and that was a year or two ago......so in effect he and others did descend on 6.5 kg rigs safely, im not saying boardman is not up on the newest tech , but frames , wheels , bottom brackets etc, have all improved since his day , and like any other skill its all personal , some guys are just better at it than others.........you chose one of the best......

 

[blackcat]

i think we agree here......if i remember correctly paolo rode a 56 , right in the cusp of standard equipment meeting the weight rules ,so the possibility of his rig being''weighted'' exists and that was a year or two ago......so in effect he and others did descend on 6.5 kg rigs safely, im not saying boardman is not up on the newest tech , but frames , wheels , bottom brackets etc, have all improved since his day , and like any other skill its all personal , some guys are just better at it than others.........you chose one of the best......

think you misconstrued a little, plus, I was not completely clear.

I mean a bike going downhill, does not need strong componentry and confidence in his equipment (well he does, but run with this).

The point Boardman was making, was not on the security or confidence in the bike, it was just that he needed extra weight, so he did not bunny hop when hitting a bump in the road, and that the extra weight helps with the bike handling.

So, any extra weight, lead weights et al, will help downhill. But weight that is proportionally distributed, will be even more effective that just adding lead tape in one the top tube.

 

[Big_Blue_Dave]

I believe Rujano can ride a great Giro, but he needs a team that will do a good TTT to be able to keep him in touch with the other favourites. Otherwise, he will have to do a couple of long distance attacks like in the 2005 Giro which may not give him the opportunity to win the overall but just the KOM.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

If Rujano trains properly and reaches same form as Tour of Colombia 2009 he will ride another podium in the Giro. I'm sure of it. He has the ability. He just needs to use it, like in 2005

 

[blaxland]

one but important rujano problem is unfairness of the uci rules co bicycle weight limit. i am barely kidding b/c it hiders him in tts and mnts.
do the proportions and it become obvious - a 48 k rider is at a significant disadvantage compared to a 72 k when riding uphill the same 6.9 k bike. top climbers are normally beefier than him too by about 10 k. all considered the tiny dude is amazing

this is a discussion i have had many times over with cycling mates...we came up with the 10% rule...going off rider weight (68kg rider bike limit 6.8kg)thus rujano would be able to ride a 4.8kg bike....wow thats light but still possible....how come only the tall?big framed guys get all the advantages in cycling(example;tall= better leverage,heavy riders=push bigger gears)and small guys not being able to ride lighter bikes.(light cyclist'better climbing?what do you think?

 

[Irish2009]

One thing I think is missing is that a court is just as likely to say " A bike plus rider must meet a minimum weight ". They use this rule in F1 and it's not challenged by any of the teams with lighter drivers,because it's easier to regulate.

 

[blackcat]

I understand weight is important in F1 cars and how they handle.

But power-weight wins GTs. And if the power-weight disciminates against the lighter riders, then they have a case.

The reason for UCI regulation is two-fold. Saftey, and marketing to consumer. The UCI are at odds with manufacturing companies, they do not necessarily want the buy-in for a racing bike to be above 3k for a cat3 rider. They want to keep it accessible and no barrier to entry. There is a conflict there, because they take money from the industry in sponsorship. You may say, US Health Insurance Industry analogy

 

[hfer07]

this is a discussion i have had many times over with cycling mates...we came up with the 10% rule...going off rider weight (68kg rider bike limit 6.8kg)thus rujano would be able to ride a 4.8kg bike....wow thats light but still possible....how come only the tall?big framed guys get all the advantages in cycling(example;tall= better leverage,heavy riders=push bigger gears)and small guys not being able to ride lighter bikes.(light cyclist'better climbing?what do you think?

I believe the analogy goes both ways:
*A tall rider has those advantages you mentioned, but the flip side is the wind resistance/drag generated by his body frame.
*On Jose Rujano's case, having a bike proportionally weighted to fit his physiology, will help him "in the mountains only"- but becomes a problem descending and on the flats-Imagine this guy dealing with heavy crosswinds!!

Overall- I think is the talent/skills of the rider what makes the big differences, the equipment helps to enhance those abilities better.
No matter how light could Rujano ever get-he cannot match Contador's or Andy's acceleration in the mountains...

 

[cineteq]

Rujano seems to be walking the talking...
http://primicias24.com/deportes/jose-rujano-tricampeon-de-la-vuelta-al-tachira/
The guy's just won Vuelta al Tachira, Ven.

 

[hfer07]

Rujano seems to be walking the talking...
http://primicias24.com/deportes/jose-rujano-tricampeon-de-la-vuelta-al-tachira/
The guy's just won Vuelta al Tachira, Ven.

too soon to conclude that- just wait until he returns to Europe and see if he can do the same...nevertheless I wish him the best results he can get