# 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 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.
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.

## Career achievements
### Major results
#### 2002

    1st Time trial, UCI Junior Road World Championships
    UCI Junior Track World Championships
       1st Points race
       1st Team pursuit
    1st Points race, UEC European Junior Track Championships

#### 2003

    1st Time trial, UCI Junior Road World Championships
    UCI Junior Track World Championships
       1st Madison
       1st Team pursuit
    1st Team pursuit, UEC European Junior Track Championships

#### 2004

    1st Points race, Olympic Games

#### 2005

    1st Time trial, UCI Road World Under–23 Championships

#### 2006

    1st Individual pursuit, UEC European Under–23 Track Championships
    1st Overall Volta a Lleida
       1st Stages 1 & 2
    1st Clásica Memorial Txuma
    2nd 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 Time trial, UCI Road World Under–23 Championships
    3rd Points race, UCI Track World Championships
    1st Fuga Gilera classification Giro d'Italia

#### 2010

    1st Stage 6 Tirreno–Adriatico

#### 2011

    1st Time trial, National Road Championships
    Combativity award Stage 16 Tour de France

#### 2012

    3rd Overall Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen

#### 2013

    1st Turkish Beauties classification, Presidential Tour of Turkey
    3rd Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Giro d'Italia | 128 | 140 | 167 | 131 | — | 143 | — |
| Tour de France | — | — | 140 | — | 147 | — | — |
| Vuelta a España | — | 104 | — | 148 | — | 171 | — |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |