Mikhail Ignatiev (cyclist)

Mikhail Borisovich Ignatiev (Михаил Борисович Игнатьев) (born 7 May 1985) is a former Russian professional track and road bicycle racer. He recently rode for UCI ProTour team, 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 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.

In the 2009 cycling season he moved to UCI World Tour Team Katusha, a newly formed Russian cycling team, sponsored by Itera, Gazprom and Rostechnologies. In his first season, he achieved some greatest results having taken two podiums at 2009 Tour de France.

Major results

 * 2002
 * 1st Jersey rainbow chrono.svg Time trial, UCI Junior Road World Championships
 * UCI Junior Track World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Points race
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Team pursuit
 * 1st UEC Champion Jersey.svg Points race, UEC European Junior Track Championships


 * 2003
 * 1st Jersey rainbow chrono.svg Time trial, UCI Junior Road World Championships
 * UCI Junior Track World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Madison
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Team pursuit
 * 1st UEC Champion Jersey.svg Team pursuit, UEC European Junior Track Championships


 * 2004
 * 1st Gold medal olympic.svg Points race, Olympic Games


 * 2005
 * 1st Jersey rainbow chrono.svg Time trial, UCI Road World Under–23 Championships


 * 2006
 * 1st UEC Champion Jersey.svg Individual pursuit, UEC European Under–23 Track Championships
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Volta a Lleida
 * 1st Stages 1 & 2
 * 1st Clásica Memorial Txuma
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Time trial, UCI Road World Under–23 Championships


 * 2007
 * 1st Trofeo Laigueglia
 * 1st Stage 3 Tour Méditerranéen
 * 1st Prologue Ster Elektrotoer
 * 1st Stage 4 Regio-Tour
 * 1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Burgos
 * 2nd Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise
 * 5th Tour du Haut Var
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Time trial, UCI Road World Under–23 Championships
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Points race, UCI Track World Championships
 * 1st Fuga Gilera classification Giro d'Italia


 * 2010
 * 1st Stage 6 Tirreno–Adriatico


 * 2011
 * 1st MaillotRusia.PNG Time trial, National Road Championships
 * Jersey red number.svg Combativity award Stage 16 Tour de France


 * 2012
 * 3rd Overall Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen


 * 2013
 * 1st Jersey white.svg Turkish Beauties classification, Presidential Tour of Turkey
 * 3rd Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes