Ilnur Zakarin

Ilnur Azatovich Zakarin (Ильнур Азатович Закарин; born 15 September 1989) is a Russian former racing cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2012 to 2022.

Early career and doping ban
In 2007, as a 17-year-old, he won the juniors time trial at the European Road Championships.

In July 2009, the Russian cycling federation announced that Zakarin had been banned for two years after he had tested positive for the anabolic steroid metandienone.

He came back from his ban in 2011 and in 2012 he got a contract with continental team. In the fall of 2012 he rode as a stagiaire with, but he was not picked up by the team and instead he got a contract with professional continental team , whom he rode for in 2013 and 2014.

Team Katusha (2015–19)
In September 2014 announced that they had signed Zakarin on an initial two-year deal from 2015.

2015 season
In April, he finished ninth overall at the Tour of the Basque Country. At the beginning of May, Zakarin took a prestigious victory; the general classification of the Tour de Romandie. He realized this feat thanks to a good performance in the mountains, finishing second in stage 4, and a very good time trial ride on the fifth and final stage, where he finished second even though he had to change his bike midway through the course due to some mechanical issues. Zakarin made his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d'Italia, where he won Stage 11 after attacking from a breakaway in heavy rain at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari racing circuit in Imola.

2016 season
In 2016, Zakarin won Stage 6 of Paris–Nice atop La Madone d'Utelle, ahead of Geraint Thomas and Alberto Contador. He finished the race in fourth overall. Zakarin led Katusha at the Giro d'Italia. On Stage 19, whilst placed fifth overall, he crashed heavily on the descent of the Colle dell'Agnello, suffering fractures to his left collarbone and shoulder, ending his race. Zakarin recovered from his injuries and was named in the start list for the Tour de France. Zakarin won Stage 17 of the race after bridging up to Rafał Majka and Jarlinson Pantano  at the base of the day's final climb to Finhaut–Emosson, and attacking with six kilometres remaining to solo to stage victory.

2017 season
He started the season at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana stage race, and continued by riding the Abu Dhabi Tour in which he finished 2nd. He finished 5th at the Giro d'Italia after finishing 2nd on three individual stages. On 10 July 2017, Zakarin renewed his contract with for two years. Zakarin finished in third place at the Vuelta a España; the last time a Russian stood on the podium was in 2007, when Denis Menchov won that race. Zakarin became Russian champion in the individual time trial during the season, and finished his season by representing Russia at the World Championships.

He won the 2017 award for "Athlete of the year" in Tatarstan, and received the prize at the ceremony of athletes of the year of Tatarstan on 18 December at the Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan.

2018 season
He began the 2018 season at the Abu Dhabi Tour. He did not have any top 10 performances until the Critérium du Dauphiné where he finished 10th. He rode the Tour de France where he suffered a crash in the first week and survived the cobblestones of stage 9 where many general classification riders had a bad day; he was outside the top 10 going into the final week. The last two high mountain stages to Saint-Lary-Soulan and Laruns were the highlight for Zakarin where he finished in 10th place on both, then placed 7th on the final individual time trial; he finished the race in ninth overall. Later in the year at the Vuelta a España he finished 20th.

CCC Team
In August 2019, it was announced that Zakarin was to join the on a two-year contract.

Gazprom–RusVelo
After one season with, Zakarin signed a two-year contract with in October 2020.

Personal life
Zakarin is a native of Naberezhnye Chelny in the Tatarstan region of Russia, and lives in Cyprus. He is married to Viktoria, a nutritionist. The couple's first child, a daughter, Kristina, was born in 2016. His brother Aydar Zakarin is also a racing cyclist. He is a Muslim, goes to mosque during the year, and listens to Tatari music to remind him of home. He is also a book lover.

Major results

 * 2006
 * 8th Time trial, UCI Juniors World Championships


 * 2007
 * 1st UEC Champion Jersey.svg Time trial, UEC European Junior Road Championships


 * 2011
 * 10th Overall Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia


 * 2012
 * 1st Overall Grand Prix of Adygeya
 * 1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 2 & 4
 * 1st Grand Prix of Donetsk
 * 4th Overall Tour Alsace
 * 1st Stage 5 (ITT)
 * 8th Duo Normand (with Alexander Rybakov)
 * 9th Overall Girobio
 * 1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stage 5
 * 10th Overall Grand Prix of Sochi


 * 2013
 * 1st MaillotRusia.PNG Time trial, National Road Championships
 * 3rd Overall Grand Prix of Adygeya
 * 1st Stage 1 (ITT)
 * 5th Duo Normand (with Alexander Rybakov)


 * 2014
 * 1st Jersey blue.svg Overall Tour d'Azerbaïdjan
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Grand Prix of Sochi
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Grand Prix of Adygeya
 * 1st Stage 1 (ITT)
 * 2nd Overall Tour of Slovenia
 * 3rd Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli


 * 2015
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de Romandie
 * 1st Stage 11 Giro d'Italia
 * 3rd Overall Arctic Race of Norway
 * 4th Overall Tour de Pologne
 * 9th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
 * 10th Overall Tour de San Luis


 * 2016
 * 1st Stage 17 Tour de France
 * 3rd Vuelta a Murcia
 * 4th Overall Paris–Nice
 * 1st Stage 6
 * 4th Overall Tour de Romandie
 * 5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
 * 7th Overall Volta a Catalunya
 * 7th Overall Volta ao Algarve


 * 2017
 * 1st MaillotRusia.PNG Time trial, National Road Championships
 * 2nd Overall Abu Dhabi Tour
 * 3rd Overall Vuelta a España
 * 5th Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 6th Overall Paris–Nice


 * 2018
 * 7th GP Miguel Induráin
 * 9th Overall Tour de France
 * 10th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné


 * 2019
 * 8th Overall Tour de Romandie
 * 10th Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Stage 13
 * 10th Overall Paris–Nice


 * 2020
 * 7th Overall UAE Tour


 * 2021
 * 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
 * 8th Overall Vuelta Asturias
 * 9th Overall Settimana Ciclistica Italiana