Today is Josè Luis Rubiera’s 36th birthday. Born January 27th, 1973 in Santa Eulalia in the Asturia region of Spain and nicknamed Chechu, the Spaniard is well-known to American cycling fans. The likeable Rubiera comes from the Asturias region of northwestern Spain, a rugged mountainous region of coal miners, fishermen and farmers that a fosters a tough, hardy people. Chechu still lives in Asturias, not far from its largest city Gijón with his wife, Laura, a practicing attorney. Josè Luis was given his nickname Chechu by his mom from a character she likes on a Spanish telenovella (soap opera).

Rubiera, an excellent climber and strong all-around rider was one of Lance Armstrong’s key lieutenants for five seasons (2001-2005) with US Postal Service and Discovery Channel, supporting Armstrong in five straight Tour De France wins. "I had decided to retire last season”, Rubiera told RoadBikeAction.Com, 
“but at the Vuelta, when it was a sure thing that Lance was coming back, Bruyneel said to me: ‘Wait, because Lance wants you to ride with him again.' That’s why I stayed on the bike.”



Road Bike Action: How did you get started in cycling? Was it through someone in your family?
Jose Luis Rubiera: I started at about 8 or 9 years old. I had a little racing bike and loved to ride. No one in my family was in into cycling at all. But I loved it right away. I had a little jersey and shorts and would ride my bike all over even when I was young. Sometimes I even rode from my town, Santa Eulalia, as far as Gijon, the main town in the region. It was 30km away but I would just go there.

RBA: There are a lot of hills in Asturias! Wasn’t it hard riding for a little kid?
JLR: Not really because my town was near the sea and the road to Gijon was flat enough until the end which was a steep 3km climb up to the town. But I still made it!

RBA: Maybe that experience helped you later in your career when you won climbing stages in the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana?
JLR: Well maybe…


RBA: So fast forward a few year to this year’s Vuelta. You were riding well this season…
JLR: Yes, I had really good form, especially at the Vuelta and I have to say that it’s the best form I’ve had for a few years. I was going like a motorcycle…

RBA: What did you think when you started to hear the rumors that Lance Armstrong was coming back to cycling?
JLR: Of course I couldn’t believe it...the rumors started in the peloton and we scoffed at that. Then one night as we were having diner after the stage, a journalist came up to us and said “Armstrong is coming back to cycling. It’s on the internet.” We thought it was a big joke and started saying 'oh Fignon is coming back too and why not Johan (Bruyneel) he can get back on the bike too!' but then it turned out to be true and we were all really surprised. But we had a race to win (Vuelta) and so we needed to focus on that.

At that time I had already decided to retire at the end of the season even if I was in really good form. I already had my retirement party planned and everything! But then Johan asked me if I wanted to ride another year, no pressure, just think about it...and he said that Lance was wondering if I wanted to ride another year, to ride with him. So I decided to not retire...like that! (snaps his fingers).

RBA: What did your wife say?
JLR: She was the first person I called...I have to admit I was nervous; but she said 'well I understand that you have to do what makes you happy so I am behind you.' You know, that was hard; my wife has been so supportive of my career and I am away from home a lot. We were looking forward to spending more time together. I feel like I owe her a lot and really appreciate her support. But when a great champion like Lance calls you, that is really something special. I have been fortunate enough to ride for him from 2001 to 2005 on US Postal and Discovery and those were special times. So now we'll race together in 2009 on Astana. It is a very special motivation to be with Lance again.

RBA: Chechu you have a lot of experience with Lance in the Tour de France, but Armstrong has never done the Giro. On the other hand, you have an excellent track record at the Giro d'Italia (6 participations: 10th with Kelme in 1997, with a stage win in Falzes / 8th in 2000 with a stage win in Selva di Val Gardena). And it's a tricky race, a lot different than the Tour de France as you know. So how do you think Lance will do at the Giro?
JLR: I think he'll do really well there. Lance is a great rider with a lot of experience. He'll have a very strong team around him with me and Popo (Yaroslav Popovych) and (Chris) Horner and others. We have looked at some of the course of the  Giro d'Italia together. This year there are not that many steep climbs like the Mortirolo which is better for old guys like us. We're like diesels you know, keeping a steady pace. It's the changes of rhythm and the steep parts that are tough for us. But the Giro d'Italia is a beautiful race too and I think Lance will be very inspired by his first Giro.


RBA: We hear that you recently had a mountain summit named for you in Asturias last October.
JLR: Well it was a surprise and a big honor. The climb is called Coto Bello, a mountain summit in Aller, south Asturias. I found it while training and it wasn’t paved but when it was, I pointed it out to the organizers of the Vuelta a Espana. It was originally supposed to be the finish of Stage 14 last year, but it got moved to Fuentes de Invierno. Coto Bello is a nice climb, not really steep but perfect to enjoy without suffering. It was a surprise for me when they called to ask me if I would agree to put my name (to the summit). I really don't think I deserve it, but it is really nice.

RBA: So will you now retire at the end of the 2009 season? I understand your program will include the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta, but no Tour De France.
JLR: We'll have to see...I’m not sure what lies ahead. And I have a project I am working on your readers in America might be interested in...

RBA: Whats that?
JLR: I am opening a tapas bar in Oakland, California called bar Lata; that means "the can," like a tin can. It’s at 4901 Telegraph Ave., at 49th Street, near Claremont Ave. It’s in the Temescal neighborhood. We will open in February.

RBA: Wow how did that happen? Oakland is a long way from Gijon!
JLR: Well, first of all I really love San Francisco...it is a really fantastic city! I was there a few times to race the SF Grand Prix. That was a really great race, too. So in 2003, I met a guy from Barcelona named Daniel Olivella when I was there. He owns a great Spanish restaurant in San Francisco called B44 on Belden Place. That's a cool little street in the Financial district of San Francisco filled with good little restaurants. Anyway we got to know each other over the years and just hatched the idea to open a tapas bar. There are not that many good Spanish places in the Bay Area and  we are going ahead with Bar Lata tapas bar! Olivella told the SF Chronicle recently  "I'm going to try to be authentic Spanish," says Olivella, who is, of course, authentically Spanish by birth. Bar Lata backers include his partners in B44 and Chechu Rubiera, a Spanish professional cyclist. Olivella has taken over the old Silver Lion and has transformed it into the casual 60-seat Bar Lata, with a communal table, an all-Spanish wine list and moderately priced wines by the glass. The menu will be tapas heavy, with perhaps 10 hot selections and 10 cold ones, three or four paellas and a few small main courses. Chechu proudly told Road Bike Action “Originally I was going to be at the opening we have planned for January 2009 but now I will be in Australia racing at the Tour Down Under. After that we have a training camp in Santa Rosa, California so maybe I will invite the Astana boys down to La Lata for some tapas!

Chechu opened his 2009 accounts at the Tour Down Under in 58th overall, where he had a crash but nothing serious. He told his fan website, www.chechurubiera.info, “No fue nada, chapa y pintura como cuando tienes un golpe en el coche, je je!! (It was nothing, scratches and dents, like after a fender-bender.)

We are going much faster than last year and I need to help Lance with the wind, so I'm quite tired at the end. " Rubiera told the International Herald Tribune in an interview in Adelaide “It is like a time warp in some ways, but there are a lot of new faces out here. Lance seems the same to me. Still as motivated, and though it's a big circus out here, it's a big circus that is good for the sport. We're at a time economically where sponsors are difficult to find, and Lance brings in the media and the interest at a moment when cycling really needs it."


After an Astana training camp in Santa Rosa, CA. from February 1-10, Rubiera will ride the Tour Of California, then some stage races in Spain, then the Tour of Romandie as a warm-up for the 2009 Giro d’Italia which starts in Venezia Lido on May 9th. Meanwhile, we must say to the friendly Asturian “Feliz Cumpleanos, Amigo Chechu”.