| Isidro Nozal | |
| Fullname: | Isidro Nozal |
| Birth Date: | 1977 10, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Barakaldo, Spain |
| Discipline: | Road |
| Role: | Rider |
| Proyears1: | 1999–2006 |
| Proyears2: | 2007 |
| Proyears3: | 2008–2009 |
| Majorwins: | Grand Tours
2 individual stages (2003) |
Isidro Nozal Vega (born 18 October 1977) is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist. Nozal was runner-up in the 2003 Vuelta a España and an instrumental domestique in Roberto Heras' 2004 Vuelta a España win.
In 2005, Vega was suspended for two weeks after being tested with a hematocrit level above 50 before the start of Dauphine Libere.[1] In 2006, he was initially implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case, but was cleared of any wrongdoing by Spanish officials.[2] He later admitted his involvement, saying he did three blood transfusions with Fuentes in the season before the 2005 Dauphine Libere, but denying he doped.[3] For the 2008 and 2009 seasons Nozal rode for the Portuguese Pro Continental team of Liberty Seguros.[4] In September 2009 Nozal and two teammates (Nuno Ribeiro and Héctor Guerra) were announced to have tested positive for EPO-CERA in samples taken for the previous month's Tour of Portugal.[5] Liberty Seguros immediately announced that it would cease sponsorship of the team and its participation in cycling. Ribeiro's win was withdrawn and the second-placed rider, Spain's David Blanco, was elevated to the overall win. Nozal, Ribeiro, and Guerra all received two-year suspensions from cycling.[6]
| Grand Tour | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro d'Italia | — | 68 | — | — | — | — | |
| Tour de France | — | — | 38 | 72 | 73 | — | |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | DNF |
DNF = did not finish