Rujano & Rujano, More than a trademark, it's a family brand! We all remember the little great Venezuelan climber, José Rujano, who almost won the 2005 Giro d'Italia. At the time he was racing with Colombia Selle Italia and it was yet another discovery of Gianni Savio. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. Josè He has had his ups and downs, in cycling and in his private life. But his passion for cycling has never waned. And he has passed it on to his son Jeison.
The two, almost for fun, began pedaling together. Those rides then turned into outings, training sessions, and races. So much so that Jeison became the U23 national champion. And so father and son found themselves racing together in an official international race, the Tour of Tachira, which ended yesterday with the victory of Roniel Campos. A race in which all of Venezuela's cycling is present and that Josè won four times. This is where his legend was born. José is still beloved in his country.
An incredible story
We have seen many brothers in competition: the Bartalis, the Coppis, the Indurains up to the Viviani and Nibali, But father and son is a real novelty. At least at this level and as far as we can remember.
«For me – says Jeison (19 years old) – It's a great honor to race with my father. It was once a dream, and now it's come true. I think it's a gift that life has given me, something that truly can't be bought."
"I'm very happy," replies José (38), "with what happened. My return to Tachira wasn't planned, but I enjoyed the whole preparation. There was anticipation for us and it was special for me, as well as for him. Some riders congratulated us. Others joked, like, "Who will be first among us? Who will win tomorrow? Who is the domestique and who is the captain..."
Dad, rider and sporting director
In the past, Josè had told us about his first outings with his son. Watching him grow, and especially realizing, training session after training session, that he truly could be strong, both in terms of legs and character. Having trod the boards of major cycling events, his experience is a precious treasure to be made available to Jeison, in training and in racing.
«Jeison knows he can count on me “We tried to push each other a lot during the race,” says Rujano, his father. “I often told him: ‘Come on, let’s keep going because the road is bad.’ Or: ‘Take this gel to recover. Drink, eat…’ If we go ahead, there’s less danger, you can see the race, there are fewer crashes. And he also earns the respect of the group.” In short, Jeison has a sports director on the race course!
However, it wasn't easy for the Venezuelan climber to start this race. At the beginning, José didn't have a team and was looking for one. Eventually, he found a place in the Team Osorio Cycling, born to promote cycling in the Tachira region.
Meanwhile, he worked in the poultry industry and trained. José is definitely more mature than in his heyday. Had he had this mentality at the time, he probably would have won much more and perhaps even taken home a great Giro. Savio, for example, is certain of this. He himself confided these things to us in Argentina just a year ago.
The big stage
For the young Rujano, this was his second major international experience; he had already participated last year, but the level of the 2020 Tachira was decidedly lower. For the first time, he found himself riding alongside so many European professionals, and it wasn't a given that he would be able to finish the race, which was also a tough one.
«What struck me? That I was able to finish the hardest stages without any major problems. “At first, I trained with a power meter, so I followed the watts. It was like that for almost all of 2020. Then at the end of November, I started training with my dad again, like we did at the beginning. From that point, we followed his method (feelings, kilometers, and climbs), and throughout December I trained with him in preparation for the Tachira.”
Jeison's Dreams
«I think and hope that in the future I can become a professional cyclist – says Jeison – racing the Tour of Italy, Tour , Return and maybe even achieve a big victory in my sporting career. And I really wish my dad could continue racing. Seeing him on his bike by my side motivates me so much.».
«Jeison is a climber, like me – says the father with a certain pride – but he's also very good at time trials. He won the U23 national title. It would also be a dream for me to see my son race in Europe and in the Grand Tours. And I have to say, I'd love to be there. I think it's very difficult, but not impossible. I repeat, it would be another dream."
