Alberto López de Munain Ruiz de Gauna (born December 5, 1972 in Vitoria-Gasteiz

Vitoria-Gasteiz

Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city...

, Basque Country

Basque Country (autonomous community)

The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....

) is a Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 former professional road bicycle racer. He became professional in 1996 and ended his professional career in 2005. He rode his entire career for the Euskaltel-Euskadi

Euskaltel-Euskadi

Euskaltel-Euskadi is a professional road bicycle racing team from Spain. The team is commercially sponsored, but also works as an unofficial Basque national team and is partly funded by the Basque Government. Its riders are either from Basque Country, or at least have grown up in the cycling...

 team. On the 2005 Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia

The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...

 he suffered a terrible crash in stage two, and was diagnosed with a hydropneumothorax

Hydropneumothorax

Hydropneumothorax implies presence of both air and fluid in the pleural space Hydropneumothorax implies presence of both air and fluid in the pleural space Hydropneumothorax implies presence of both air and fluid in the pleural space ( i.e. between two layers of pleura. An erect chest x-ray will...

 caused by nine broken ribs, a broken left clavicle

Clavicle

In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...

, a broken shoulder blade and damage to his left shoulder.

Victories

2000
Vuelta a Asturias

Vuelta a Asturias

Vuelta a Asturias is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in early May each year. The event was first run in 1925 but has not been held consistently until 1968 to present. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...

, Stage 1

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Prologue
2001
Vuelta a Asturias

Vuelta a Asturias

Vuelta a Asturias is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in early May each year. The event was first run in 1925 but has not been held consistently until 1968 to present. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...

, Stage 5

Clásica de Alcobendas, Stage 2