Mikhail Ignatiev (cyclist)

Mikhail Ignatiev
Personal information
Full name Mikhail Borisovich Ignatiev
Born 7 May 1985 (1985-05-07) (age 26)
Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg)
 Russia
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 67 kg (150 lb)
Team information
Current team Team Katusha
Discipline Road
Track
Role Rider
Rider type Time Trialist
Amateur team(s)
2004–2005 Lokomotiv
Professional team(s)
2006–2008
2009–
Tinkoff Restaurants
Team Katusha
Major wins
Olympic Points Race (2004)
Infobox last updated on
3 January 2012

Mikhail Borisovich Ignatiev (Russian: Михаил Борисович Игнатьев) (born 7 May 1985) is a Russian professional track and road bicycle racer. He currently rides for UCI ProTour team Team Katusha, as well as participating in various track events. He is known as a time trial specialist, and also has a reputation for making the breakaway in road races and trying, often with success, to solo to victory.

Career

In 2004 Ignatiev achieved his biggest success to date, winning a gold medal in the points race at the Athens Olympics. On the road, Ignatiev came to prominence with his ability in the individual time trial. In 2002 and 2003, he was the World Junior Champion, while in 2005 he became the World Under 23 Champion.

Ignatiev signed his first professional contract in 2006, when he started riding for the Tinkoff Restaurants cycling team. This team competed mainly in Russia, but Ignatiev made a big impact during a series of Spanish races in the middle part of the season.

When Tinkoff Credit Systems was established from Tinkoff Restaurants in 2007, Ignatiev moved to Marina di Massa, Italy. Early in the 2007 cycling season, Ignatiev made a name for himself by winning a stage of the Tour Méditerranéen and the Trofeo Laigueglia with successful late attacks. He continued his form throughout the season and won two time trials, the Prologue in Ster Elektrotoer, Stage 4 of the Regio-Tour and the first stage of Vuelta a Burgos.

Palmarès

2002
1st, Junior World Championships, individual time trial
1st, Junior World Track Championships, points race
1st, Junior World Track Championships, team pursuit
1st, Junior European Track Championships, points race
2003
1st, Junior World Championships, individual time trial
1st, Junior World Track Championships, madison
1st, Junior World Track Championships, team pursuit
1st, Junior European Track Championships, team pursuit
2004
Olympic gold medal, points race
2005
1st, Under 23 World Championships, individual time trial
2006 – Tinkoff Restaurants
1st, Clasica Internacional "Txuma"
1st, General Classification, Volta a Lleida
1st, Stage 1, Volta a Lleida
1st, Stage 2, Volta a Lleida
1st, European Track Championships, individual pursuit
2nd, Under 23 World Championships, individual time trial
2007 – Tinkoff Credit Systems
1st, Trofeo Laigueglia
1st, Stage 3, Tour Méditerranéen
1st, Prologue, Ster Elektrotoer
1st, Stage 4, Regio-Tour
1st, Stage 1, Vuelta a Burgos
2nd, GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise
5th, Tour du Haut Var
3rd, 2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Men's Points Race
1st, Fuga Gilera classification, Giro d'Italia
2nd, Under 23 World Championships, individual time trial
2009 – Katusha
2nd, Stage 5, Tour de France
3rd, Stage 18, Tour de France, individual time trial
2010 – Katusha
1st, Stage 6, Tirreno–Adriatico
2011 – Katusha
1st National Individual Time Trial Champion
Combativity award Stage 16 Tour de France

External links