Rujano talking plenty of smack...

[Berzin]

Jose Rujano, who has done nothing on the European pro scene since his third place at the Giro D'Italia in 2005, is now planning a comeback with a small domestic Italian team and claims that, after wasting the last four years of his athletic prime, can come back and do something.

Here's the Velonews link to the story-

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/01/news/rujano-believes-he-still-has-it_102253

I call BS on this one. He does not appear to have the mental makeup to handle success. He has been advised poorly over the years and does not have the discipline to follow up on that glorious Giro he had.

We have had plenty of guys do well in a stage race ONE TIME and either disappear altogether or never duplicate the feat. I think he falls in the category of one-time wonder.

He is oblivious to the opportunities he's wasted. The fact that no major team went out to sign him tells you something.

This is unfortunate, because he seemed to be a rider who could of thrown a spanner in the works on the mountain stages of the grand tours.

I hope I'm wrong about this guy, but I don't think I am. Having said that, I really enjoyed watching him do his thing at the Giro in 2005.

 

[Cerberus]

Speaking for myself I'm hugely impressed that he can climb at all carrying an ego of that big.

 

[Anonymous]

Speaking for myself I'm hugely impressed that he can climb at all carrying an ego of that big.

Inflated egos aren't that heavy. I'm not sure what they use to fill them up - possibly hot air

 

[Cerberus]

Inflated egos aren't that heavy. I'm not sure what they use to fill them up - possibly hot air

But think of all the wind resistance!

 

[issoisso]

Jose Rujano, who has done nothing on the European pro scene since his third place at the Giro D'Italia in 2005, is now planning a comeback with a small domestic Italian team and claims that, after wasting the last four years of his athletic prime, can come back and do something.

Here's the Velonews link to the story-

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/01/news/rujano-believes-he-still-has-it_102253

I call BS on this one. He does not appear to have the mental makeup to handle success. He has been advised poorly over the years and does not have the discipline to follow up on that glorious Giro he had.

We have had plenty of guys do well in a stage race ONE TIME and either disappear altogether or never duplicate the feat. I think he falls in the category of one-time wonder.

He is oblivious to the opportunities he's wasted. The fact that no major team went out to sign him tells you something.

This is unfortunate, because he seemed to be a rider who could of thrown a spanner in the works on the mountain stages of the grand tours.

I hope I'm wrong about this guy, but I don't think I am. Having said that, I really enjoyed watching him do his thing at the Giro in 2005.

I agree with most, but not with this. He's fully aware. And he regrets it deeply. He just doesn't have the willpower to set it straight.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Inflated egos aren't that heavy. I'm not sure what they use to fill them up - possibly hot air

But think of all the wind resistance!

True, but hot air rises....

 

[Escarabajo]

I thought his problem was a lack of work ethics. From what has been discussed in this forum it sounds like he was a problem to work with, like discipline wise.

But who knows, maybe his low performance was related to something else if you know what I mean.

 

[craig1985]

According to Gianni Savio, a lot of what has happened to ujano is down to his agent, who is a former pastry chef, had dollar signs in his eyes, not Rujano's best interests.

 

[Deagol]

How does a tiny little guy like that do in a time trail? I remember him from the 2005 Giro, but don’t remember how he fared out in the open/windy conditions. Seems like his minimal size might be a hindrance in those conditions. Maybe that’s not as prevalent in the Giro?

 

[BikeCentric]

How does a tiny little guy like that do in a time trail? I remember him from the 2005 Giro, but don’t remember how he fared out in the open/windy conditions. Seems like his minimal size might be a hindrance in those conditions. Maybe that’s not as prevalent in the Giro?

Yes and yes. Rujano sucks at TT's (has little absolute power numbers but great power/weight ratio) and the Giro is traditionally the GT with the greatest emphasis on climbing. See one Gilberto Simoni as an exmaple of a pure climber who had a lot of success there in the 00's.

 

[craig1985]

How does a tiny little guy like that do in a time trail? I remember him from the 2005 Giro, but don’t remember how he fared out in the open/windy conditions. Seems like his minimal size might be a hindrance in those conditions. Maybe that’s not as prevalent in the Giro?

Ok, in the three TT's in the 2005 Giro:

Prolouge (Reggio Calabria, 1.15km): 174th @ 12 seconds.
Lamporecchio - Firenze ITT, 45 km: 77th @ 5.04
Chieri - Torino ITT, 34 km: 16th @ 1.59

 

[Walshworld]

The man is Simoni light.

It takes a clueless guy to say you're the 3rd best climber in the world. Maybe first best fool but not close to those guys. Reminds me of that loose talk from Simoni ages ago -- "I can take Lance in the mountains." Did he? Uh, not.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Rujano is dreaming if he thinks that he is the 3rd best climber in the wrold.

 

[palmerq]

I thought the oddest thing was him claiming Joaquin Rodriguez was the 2nd best climber :S he´s good... but the 2nd best... I think rujano has the potential to cause a lot of amusement next season..

he is venezuelan timi trial champion(a few times too) isn´t he? so he must be good at tts ..... :S

 

[Michele]

Rujano had a track background which is kinda unusual for a climber.

 

[Deagol]

Rujano is dreaming if he thinks that he is the 3rd best climber in the wrold.

Maybe he has a “Napoleon complex”?

 

[Steel4Ever]

Yeah...if we are talking Napoleon Dynamite!

 

[phillop]

i really hope he turns up in good nick, he could make the race soo much more exciting. i dont see why we are concerned to much about how he goes in the tts as there is less than 30km of flat tts in the race, but last time they had the plan de corones tt, he was riding it, maybe for caisse at that stage?
any way, that was when he was riding crap, and he managed to place 4th in that stage, wich i find interesting.
id be more concerned about the time he loses in the flat sprint stages, look back at his past years, even when he got 3rd, he lost alot of time in flat stages i the 1st 10 days
I think if hes on form he should win the giro, but i agree he probly wont be and ill be dissapointed!

 

[Joey_J]

He destroyed everyone in the Tour of Columbia this year winning some huge mountain stages, including Sevilla and Mancebo.

 

[craig1985]

I'm sure even Lance would win the Tour of Colombia.