Juan José Lobato: crucial mistake after "hardest year of his life" led to abrupt end at Jumbo-Visma

With the 2023 cycling season wrapped up, several familiar faces will be missing from next year's peloton. Among them is Juan José Lobato, a 34-year-old Spanish cyclist who briefly raced for LottoNL-Jumbo. IDLProCycling.com takes a final retrospective glance at this powerful sprinter's career.

Born on December 29, 1988, in Trebujena, Andalusia, Lobato began cycling early and soon tasted success. In 2006, at just 17, he clinched the Spanish junior championship title, outpacing Jon Aberasturi. His talents in the under-23 category shone through in the esteemed Circuito de Montanes stage race, earning him a contract in 2010 with Andalucia, a professional continental team from his home region.

That same year in September, Lobato vied for the under-23 world title in Geelong, Australia, where he finished in the top ten alongside the likes of Michael Matthews, John Degenkolb, Arnaud Démare and Sonny Colbrelli. A few months later, he embarked on his first full professional season with Andalucia, almost securing his debut pro victory in his home region's tour, only narrowly bested by Francisco José Ventoso in Jaén.

Lobato takes a step forward at WorldTour level

At the end of July, Lobato achieved his first professional victory in the Circuito de Getxo, outsmarting and outspeeding Joaquim Rodríguez. A few weeks later, he started his first Vuelta, but it was not an immediate success. He finished the following season without notable results. This laid the groundwork for his first season at the WorldTour level with Euskaltel-Euskadi. They needed points that year, and a sprinter like Lobato was a perfect fit.

At the highest level, the Spaniard took a new step: he earned several top finishes in both smaller and larger races and made his first and only appearance in the Tour de France. There, he impressively finished in the top ten three times and wore the first polka dot jersey. Just one week after the Tour de France, he won his second Circuito de Getxo, but the curtain fell on the orange professional team from the Basque Country at the end of the year. Movistar, the biggest Spanish team, picked him up.

In 2014, under the guidance of team manager Eusebio Unzué, Lobato competed in his first Monument at Milan-Sanremo, impressively finishing fourth. This achievement was a highlight among his many commendable performances that season, which included victories in the stages of the Tour of Burgos and Tour of Wallonia. Building on this momentum, the next season saw him win his first WorldTour event at the Tour Down Under, narrowly missing a grand tour stage victory in the Giro. He also claimed two stage wins in the Ruta del Sol and consistently secured top placements.

Crucial mistake ends Lobato's tenure at LottoNL-Jumbo

In 2016, Lobato continued in the same vein, with four victories, including the prestigious Hatta Dam stage in the Dubai Tour, attracting the attention of LottoNL-Jumbo. The Dutch team signed Lobato for two years starting in 2017, particularly for opportunities in stages and races with challenging finishes. "If you want to be a good sprinter and a good classics rider, this team is the perfect choice," he said at the announcement, becoming the first Spaniard since Juan Manuel Garate and Luis Leon Sanchez to join the team.

Racing for the Dutch team, he finished eleventh in the Amstel Gold Race, won a stage in the Tour de l'Ain, and finished second in a stage of the Vuelta. However, at the end of 2017, a complication arose. During a training camp, Lobato seriously breached the team's internal rules by abusing some sleeping pills. He became unresponsive. "At one point, we were pulling Lobato with 25 horses, but he didn't react to anything," team boss Richard Plugge said at the time to NOS.

Lobato eventually woke up but still had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. He no longer rode for LottoNL-Jumbo, as the team decided to part ways with him after the incident with the sleeping pills. The Spaniard understood the decision. "I still have to apologize to the team for breaking the rules," he said in an open letter a few months after the incident.

"I needed the medication during 2017 due to personal problems; it was the hardest year of my life," Lobato explained. "I was dealing with a divorce and grieving over the death of my uncle, who died in an accident at work. He was key to my development and left us at just 43 years old. All this turmoil made it difficult for me to sleep, and that's why I used the medication."

Lobato's career ends quietly

The fact was that Lobato suddenly found himself without a team in December 2017 for the 2018 season. "I'm just looking for an opportunity to continue racing and enjoy the sport. Thanks to cycling, I've overcome my problems, and the next step is to put on a cycling jersey and enjoy the competition," said Lobato. By mid-February, a solution emerged: the professional continental team Nippo-Vini Fantini offered him a contract, which he repaid later that season with a victory in the Coppa Sabatini. Celebrated with a finger to his lips, it would turn out to be his final career win.

Like many sprinters of his generation, Lobato noticed his sprinting abilities were waning. After two years with Nippo, he rode for Orbea and then Euskaltel-Euskadi (which had started a comeback at the professional continental level) under Spanish colors. In 2021, he had another chance to ride in the Vuelta, but he didn't make the top ten in the sprints.

Thus, Lobato's career faded quietly. In 2023, he still attempted to race quite a bit, but often ended up with a 'DNF' (Did Not Finish). This was the case in his last race, the second stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon at the end of July. "The day has come to say goodbye," he announced at the end of his career. Brief but impactful, much like his best years!