OK, have Googled around, searched Wikipedia etc and can’t find the answer.

Why is Joaquim Rodriguez called “Porito”? Is that his last name (many Spaniards have very long family names) or is it a nickname? If a nickname what does it mean…. can’t find any info at all on this..

Purito innit? That’ll be google-able I think…

I wondered the same and looked this up the other day- it means “cigar” I think, something to do with him cruising past some teammates and miming having a smoke because it was so easy.

Aha!

Thanks…

His nickname in the professional peloton is Purito, Spanish for little cigar, a name he was given in an early season training camp during his first year as a professional with ONCE-Eroski. When some of his teammates stepped up the pace in a small climb, he passed them making a hand gesture appearing to be smoking a cigar, suggesting he was climbing without much effort. The gesture was not welcomed by his teammates, who made him smoke a real cigar as a hazing ritual later in the evening

Smoking a cigar as a punishment? Not exactly a beasting…

Haha, they should have made him smoke the whole packet.

Better Purito than Porrito.

They made him smoke the cigar in front of the team boss at the communal dinner table. The team had a no smoking policy.

They’re mad those roadies….

(crap initiation ritual, if there’s no alcohol, nakedness or razors involved then it’s too tame)