List of teams and cyclists in the 2011 Giro d'Italia
By nationality
Table:
Country
No. of riders
Finishers
Stage wins

Italy
62
51
5 (Alessandro Petacchi, Oscar Gatto, Diego Ulissi, Eros Capecchi, Paolo Tiralongo)

Spain
25
23
6 (Ángel Vicioso, Francisco Ventoso, Alberto Contador x2, Igor Antón, Mikel Nieve)

Netherlands
11
9
1 (Pieter Weening)

Belgium
10
9
1 (Bart De Clercq)

France
10
9
1 (John Gadret)

United States
8
6
0

Australia
7
3
0

Russia
7
7
0

Switzerland
7
5
0

Germany
6
2
0

Colombia
5
4
0

Great Britain
5
3
3 (Mark Cavendish x2, David Millar)

Belarus
4
4
1 (Vasil Kiryienka)

Denmark
4
4
0

Poland
3
3
0

Portugal
3
1
0

Slovenia
3
2
0

Venezuela
3
2
1 (José Rujano)

Croatia
2
2
0

Czech Republic
2
1
0

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Italy ( Italian : Italia [ iˈtaːlja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Italian Republic ( Italian : Repubblica Italiana [ reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna ] ) , is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands . Italy is located in south-central Europe , and it is also considered a part of Western Europe . The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 ( 116,350 sq mi ) and shares land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino . Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland ( Campione ) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea ( Lampedusa ) . With around 60 million inhabitants , Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union . The capital and largest city is Rome ; other major cities are Milan , Naples , Turin , Palermo , Genoa , Bologna , Florence and Venice . Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean , Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures . In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy , the most predominant being the Indo-European Italic peoples who gave the peninsula its name , beginning from the classical era , Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy , Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy , while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively . An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC , which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People . The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula , eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe , North Africa and Asia . By the first century BC , the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural , political and religious centre , inaugurating the Pax Romana , a period of more than 200 years during which Italy 's law , technology , economy , art , and literature developed . Italy remained the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the empire , whose legacy can also be observed in the global distribution of culture , governments , Christianity and the Latin script .
Alessandro Petacchi ( born 3 January 1974 ) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist , who rode professionally between 1996 and 2015 . A specialist sprinter , Petacchi has won 48 grand tour stages with wins of the points jersey in the Giro d'Italia in 2004 , the Vuelta a España in 2005 and the Tour de France in 2010 . He also won the classics Milan - San Remo in 2005 and Paris-Tours in 2007 . His career spanned over 18 years during which he earned 183 victories . In 2007 , Petacchi was banned from cycling and had his results achieved disqualified for doping . The court later said that he had not cheated on purpose but had not taken enough care when consuming his legal asthma drug . He announced his retirement as a lead sprinter on 23 April 2013 , and terminated his contract at Lampre-Merida , . He rejoined the professional peloton in August 2013 , joining the Omega Pharma-Quick-Step squad as a lead-out man . In 2015 , he joined the Southeast team , where he retired from cycling for good after that year 's Giro d'Italia .
Oscar Gatto ( born 1 January 1985 ) is an Italian racing cyclist , who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Bora-Hansgrohe . His nickname is 'Oscar the Cat ' because his surname ( Gatto ) is the Italian word for cat , and his first name is Oscar .
Diego Ulissi ( born 15 July 1989 ) is an Italian road bicycle racer , who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates .
Eros Capecchi ( born 13 June 1986 ) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer , who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Bahrain-McLaren .
Paolo Tiralongo ( born 8 July 1977 ) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer , who rode professionally between 2000 and 2017 for the Fassa Bortolo , Ceramica Panaria-Navigare , Lampre-NGC and Astana teams .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
Ángel Vicioso Arcos ( born 13 April 1977 ) is a Spanish former road racing cyclist , who competed professionally between 1999 and 2017 for the Kelme-Costa Blanca , Astana , Relax-GAM , LA-MSS , Andalucía-Cajasur , Androni Giocattoli and Team Katusha-Alpecin squads .
Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi ( born 6 May 1982 ) is a Spanish road racing cyclist , who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam CCC Team . Ventoso turned professional with Saunier Duval-Prodir in 2004 before moving to Andalucía-Cajasur in 2008 . He won the 2010 Paris-Brussels in a bunch sprint . On the back his victory in the one-day classic and 3 other stage wins , he was included in the Spanish squad to ride at the World Championships in Geelong .
Alberto Contador Velasco ( Spanish pronunciation : [ alˈβeɾto kontaˈðoɾ βeˈlasko ] ; born 6 December 1982 ) is a Spanish former professional cyclist . He is one of the most successful riders of his era , winning the Tour de France twice ( 2007 , 2009 ) , the Giro d'Italia twice ( 2008 , 2015 ) , and the Vuelta a España three times ( 2008 , 2012 , 2014 ) . He is one of only seven riders to have won all three Grand Tours of cycling . He has also won the Vélo d'Or a record 4 times . He was regarded as the natural successor of Lance Armstrong and won the 2007 Tour de France with the Discovery Channel team . During his time at the Astana team , he won the 2008 Giro d'Italia , the 2008 Vuelta a España and the 2009 Tour de France . Between 2007 and 2011 he won six consecutive Grand Tours that he entered . This included winning the 2010 Tour de France with Astana , although it later emerged that he had tested positive for clenbuterol during the race . After a long battle in court , he was suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and stripped of his 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro wins . Contador was known as an attacking rider who excelled as a climber , and on his best days was also an excellent time-trialist . He was also known for being able to turn races around to his favour , most notably during the Fuente Dé stage at the 2012 Vuelta a España . Following his return from suspension , he won the Vuelta twice and the Giro once more .
Igor Antón Hernández ( born 2 March 1983 ) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer , who rode professionally between 2005 and 2018 for the Euskaltel-Euskadi , Movistar Team and Team Dimension Data squads .
Mikel Nieve Iturralde ( born 26 May 1984 ) is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer , who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Mitchelton-Scott .
The Netherlands ( Dutch : Nederland , [ ˈneːdərlɑnt ] ( listen ) ) , informally Holland , is a country in Northwestern Europe with some overseas territories in the Caribbean . In Europe , it consists of 12 provinces that border Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , with maritime borders in the North Sea with those countries and the United Kingdom . Together with the Caribbean Netherlands - Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba - it forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The official language is Dutch and a secondary official language in the province of Friesland is West Frisian . In the north and east of the country , Low Saxon is also spoken , and in the southeast , Limburgish . In the Caribbean Netherlands English and Papiamento are recognised languages . The five largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague , Utrecht and Eindhoven . Amsterdam is the country 's most populous city and nominal capital , while The Hague holds the seat of the States General , Cabinet and Supreme Court . The Port of Rotterdam is the busiest seaport in Europe , and the busiest in any country outside Asia . Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the busiest airport in the Netherlands , and the third busiest in Europe . The country is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G10 , NATO , OECD and WTO , as well as a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . It hosts several intergovernmental organisations and international courts , many of which are centered in The Hague , which is consequently dubbed 'the world 's legal capital ' .
Pieter Weening ( born 5 April 1981 ) is a Dutch road bicycle racer , who last rode for UCI Professional Continental team Roompot-Charles . From 2004 to 2011 , he rode for Rabobank . In August 2015 , it was announced that Weening had signed for Roompot-Oranje Peloton for the 2016 season .
Belgium , [ A ] officially the Kingdom of Belgium , is a country in Western Europe . It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north , Germany to the east , Luxembourg to the southeast , France to the southwest , and the North Sea to the northwest . It covers an area of 30,689 km2 ( 11,849 sq mi ) and has a population of more than 11.5 million , making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe , with a density of 376 per square kilometre ( 970/sq mi ) . The capital and largest city is Brussels ; other major cities are Antwerp , Ghent , Charleroi and Liège . The sovereign state is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system . Its institutional organization is complex and is structured on both regional and linguistic grounds . It is divided into three highly autonomous regions : the Flemish Region in the north , Wallonia in the south , and the Brussels-Capital Region . Brussels is the smallest and most densely populated region , as well as the richest region in terms of GDP per capita . Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or communities : the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community , which constitutes about 60 percent of the population , and the French-speaking Community , which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians . A small German-speaking Community , numbering around one percent , exists in the East Cantons . The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual ( French and Dutch ) , although French is the dominant language . Belgium 's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance , made up of six different governments .
Bart De Clercq ( born 26 August 1986 ) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer , who rode professionally between 2011 and 2019 for the Lotto-Soudal and Wanty-Gobert teams . His first professional victory was the seventh stage of the 2011 Giro d'Italia .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
John Gadret ( born 22 April 1979 ) is a French former professional racing cyclist in cyclo-cross and road racing , currently racing for the USO Bruay-la-Buissière amateur team . He became a stagiaire for Cofidis in 2003 before turning professional with the Vlaanderen-T Interim team in 2004 .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia , is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent , the island of Tasmania , and numerous smaller islands . It is the largest country in Oceania and the world 's sixth-largest country by total area . The population of 26 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard . Australia 's capital is Canberra , and its largest city is Sydney . The country 's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne , Brisbane , Perth , and Adelaide . Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for about 65,000 years prior to the first arrival of Dutch explorers in the early 17th century , who named it New Holland . In 1770 , Australia 's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788 , a date which became Australia 's national day . The population grew steadily in subsequent decades , and by the time of an 1850s gold rush , most of the continent had been explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies established . On 1 January 1901 , the six colonies federated , forming the Commonwealth of Australia . Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy , comprising six states and ten territories . Australia is the oldest , flattest , and driest inhabited continent , with the least fertile soils . It has a landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometres ( 2,941,300 sq mi ) .
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .
Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a country situated in the confluence of western , central , and southern Europe . [ note 4 ] It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons , with federal authorities seated in Bern . [ note 1 ] Switzerland is a landlocked country bordered by Italy to the south , France to the west , Germany to the north , and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east . It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau , the Alps , and the Jura , spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 ( 15,940 sq mi ) , and land area of 39,997 km2 ( 15,443 sq mi ) . While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory , the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau , where the largest cities are located , among them the two global cities and economic centres of Zürich and Geneva . The establishment of the Old Swiss Confederacy dates to the late medieval period , resulting from a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy . Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 . The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the founding document of Switzerland which is celebrated on Swiss National Day . Since the Reformation of the 16th century , Switzerland has maintained a strong policy of armed neutrality ; it has not fought an international war since 1815 and did not join the United Nations until 2002 . Nevertheless , it pursues an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world . Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross , one of the world 's oldest and best known humanitarian organisations , and is home to numerous international organisations , including the second largest UN office . It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association , but notably not part of the European Union , the European Economic Area or the Eurozone .
Germany ( German : Deutschland , German pronunciation : [ ˈdɔʏtʃlant ] ) , constitutionally the Federal Republic of Germany ( German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ f ] is a country in Central and Western Europe . It borders Denmark to the north , Poland and the Czech Republic to the east , Austria and Switzerland to the south , France to the southwest , and Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west . Germany includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,386 square kilometres ( 137,988 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With 83 million inhabitants , it is the second most populous state of Europe after Russia , the most populous state lying entirely in Europe , as well as the most populous member state of the European Union . Germany is a very decentralised country . Its capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while Frankfurt serves as its financial capital and has the country 's busiest airport . Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before AD 100 . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . After the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire , the German Confederation was formed in 1815 . The German revolutions of 1848-49 resulted in the Frankfurt Parliament establishing major democratic rights .
Colombia ( /kəˈlʌmbiə/ ( listen ) kə-LUM-bee-ə , /-ˈlɒm-/ -⁠LOM- ; Spanish : [ koˈlombja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Colombia ( Spanish : República de Colombia ( help·info ) ) , [ Note 1 ] is a country largely situated in the north of South America , with land and territories in North America . Colombia is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea , the northwest by Panama , the south by both Ecuador and Peru , the east by Venezuela , the southeast by Brazil , and the west by the Pacific . It comprises thirty-two departments , with the capital in Bogotá . Colombia is ethnically and linguistically diverse , with its rich cultural heritage reflecting influences by various Amerindian civilizations , European settlement , forced African labor , and immigration from Europe and the greater Middle East . Urban centres are concentrated in the Andean highlands and the Caribbean coast . Colombia has been inhabited by various American Indian peoples since at least 12,000 BCE , including the Muisca , Quimbaya , and the Tairona . Spaniards arrived in 1499 and by the mid-16th century annexed part of the region , establishing the New Kingdom of Granada , with Santafé de Bogotá as its capital . Independence from Spain was achieved in 1819 , but by 1830 the Gran Colombia Federation was dissolved , with what is now Colombia and Panama emerging as the Republic of New Granada . The new sovereign state experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation ( 1858 ) , and then the United States of Colombia ( 1863 ) , before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886 . Panama seceded in 1903 , leading to Colombia 's present borders . Beginning in the 1960s , the country suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict and political violence , both of which escalated in the 1990s . Since 2005 , there has been significant improvement in security , stability , and rule of law .
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK or U.K. ) or Britain , [ note 11 ] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland . Existing under its current name since 1921 , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland . Otherwise , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east , the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the southwest , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland . The total area of the United Kingdom is 94,000 square miles ( 240,000 km2 ) . The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy . [ note 12 ] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 1952 , making her the world 's longest-serving current head of state . The United Kingdom 's capital and largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million . Other major cities include Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow , Leeds and Liverpool . The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries : England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Their capitals are London , Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast , respectively .
Mark Simon Cavendish MBE ( born 21 May 1985 ) is a Manx professional road racing cyclist , who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Bahrain-McLaren . As a track cyclist he specialises in the madison , points race , and scratch race disciplines ; as a road racer he is a sprinter . He is considered one of the greatest road sprinters of all time . In his first years as an elite track rider , Cavendish won gold in the madison at the 2005 and 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships riding for Great Britain , with Rob Hayles and Bradley Wiggins respectively , and in the scratch race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games riding for Isle of Man . After failing to win a medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics he did not compete on track until 2015 , subsequently winning his third UCI Track Cycling World Championships title with Wiggins in the madison in 2016 , and an individual silver medal in the Omnium at the 2016 Summer Olympics . As a road cyclist , Cavendish turned professional in 2005 , and achieved eleven wins in his first professional season . Cavendish has won thirty Tour de France stages , putting him second on the all-time list , contributing to a joint third-highest total of forty-eight Grand Tour stage victories . He won the road race at the 2011 road world championships , becoming the second British rider to do so . Cavendish also won the points classification in all three of the grand tours : the 2010 Vuelta a España , the 2011 Tour de France , and the 2013 Giro d'Italia . In 2012 , he became the first person to win the final Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France in four consecutive years . He won seven Grand Tour stages in 2013 , one in 2015 and four in 2017 . This included a win on stage one of the 2016 Tour de France , claiming him his first Tour de France yellow jersey of his career .
David Millar ( born 4 January 1977 ) is a British retired professional road racing cyclist . He rode for Cofidis from 1997 to 2004 and Garmin-Sharp from 2008 to 2014 . He has won four stages of the Tour de France , five of the Vuelta a España and one stage of the Giro d'Italia . He was the British national road champion and the national time trial champion , both in 2007 . Millar was banned for two years in 2004 after he admitted to taking banned performance-enhancing drugs . Upon his return from his ban , Millar became an anti-doping campaigner , a stance which eventually resulted in journalist Alasdair Fotheringham describing him as an 'elder statesman ' of cycling .
Belarus ( /bɛləˈruːs/ ; Belarusian : Беларусь , IPA : [ bʲɛlaˈrusʲ ] ) , officially the Republic of Belarus ( Belarusian : Рэспубліка Беларусь , Russian : Республика Беларусь ) , formerly known by its Russian name Byelorussia or Belorussia ( Russian : Белоруссия ) , is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast , Ukraine to the south , Poland to the west , and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest . Its capital and most populous city is Minsk . Over 40% of its 207,600 square kilometres ( 80,200 sq mi ) is forested . Its major economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing . Until the 20th century , different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus , including the Principality of Polotsk ( 11th to 14th centuries ) , the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , and the Russian Empire . In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution , Belarus declared independence as the Belarusian People 's Republic , which was conquered by Soviet Russia . The Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922 and was renamed as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Byelorussian SSR ) . Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland after the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921 . Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939 , when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were reintegrated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland , and were finalized after World War II . During WWII , military operations devastated Belarus , which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources . The republic was redeveloped in the post-war years . In 1945 the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations , along with the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR .
Vasili Vasilyevich Kiryienka ( Belarusian : Васіль Васілевіч Кірыенка ; Łacinka : Vasil Vasilevič Kiryjenka ) ( born 28 June 1981 ) is a Belarusian former racing cyclist , who rode professionally between 2006 and 2020 for the OTC Doors , Rietumu Banka-Riga , Tinkoff Credit Systems , Movistar Team and Team Ineos squads .
Denmark ( Danish : Danmark , pronounced [ ˈtænmak ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Denmark , [ N 10 ] [ N 2 ] is a Nordic country in Northwest Europe . Denmark proper , which is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries , consists of a peninsula , Jutland , and an archipelago of 443 named islands , [ N 2 ] with the largest being Zealand , Funen and the North Jutlandic Island . The islands are characterised by flat , arable land and sandy coasts , low elevation and a temperate climate . The southernmost of the Scandinavian nations , Denmark lies southwest of Sweden and south of Norway , [ N 11 ] and is bordered to the south by Germany . The Kingdom of Denmark also includes two autonomous territories in the North Atlantic Ocean : the Faroe Islands and Greenland . Denmark has a total area of 42,924 km2 ( 16,573 sq mi ) , land area of 42,394 km2 ( 16,368 sq mi ) , and the total area including Greenland and the Faroe Islands is 2,210,579 km2 ( 853,509 sq mi ) , and a population of 5.8 million in Denmark proper ( Danish egentlige Danmark ) ( as of 2020 [ update ] ) . The unified kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century as a proficient seafaring nation in the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea . Denmark , Sweden , and Norway were ruled together under one sovereign ruler in the Kalmar Union , established in 1397 and ending with Swedish secession in 1523 . The areas of Denmark and Norway remained under the same monarch until 1814 , Denmark-Norway . Beginning in the 17th century , there were several devastating wars with the Swedish Empire , ending with large cessions of territory to Sweden . After the Napoleonic Wars , Norway was ceded to Sweden , while Denmark kept the Faroe Islands , Greenland , and Iceland . In the 19th century there was a surge of nationalist movements , which were defeated in the First Schleswig War .
Poland ( Polish : Polska [ ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Poland ( Polish : Rzeczpospolita Polska [ c ] [ ʐɛt͡ʂpɔˈspɔlita ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , is a country located in Central Europe . It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions , covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres ( 120,733 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With a population of nearly 38.5 million people , Poland is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union . Poland 's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw . Other major cities include Kraków , Łódź , Wrocław , Poznań , Gdańsk , and Szczecin . Poland is bordered by the Baltic Sea , Lithuania , and Russia 's Kaliningrad Oblast to the north , Belarus and Ukraine to the east , Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south , and Germany to the west . The history of human activity on Polish soil spans almost 500,000 years . Throughout the Iron Age the area became extensively diverse , with various cultures and tribes settling on the vast Central European Plain . However , it was the Western Polans who dominated the region and gave Poland its name . The establishment of Polish statehood can be traced to AD 966 , when Mieszko I , ruler of the realm coextensive with the territory of present-day Poland , converted to Christianity . The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025 , and in 1569 it cemented its longstanding political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin . This union formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , one of the largest ( over 1,000,000 square kilometres - 400,000 square miles ) and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe , with a uniquely liberal political system which adopted Europe 's first written national constitution , the Constitution of 3 May 1791 .
Portugal ( Portuguese : [ puɾtuˈɣal ] ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( Portuguese : República Portuguesa [ ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ ] ) , [ note 5 ] is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula , in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe , being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain . Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments . Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe and the world , its territory having been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The pre-Celtic people , Iberians , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples . After the Muslim conquests of the Iberian Peninsula , most of the territory was part of Al-Andalus until their expulsion . Portugal as a country was established during the early Christian Reconquista . Founded in 868 , the County of Portugal gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128 . The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique in 1139 , and independence from León was recognised by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143 . On 12 December 2017 , the Portuguese Navy commemorated the 700th anniversary of its official creation by King Denis of Portugal . Tracing its origins back to the 12th century , it is the oldest continuously serving navy in the world . In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers .
Slovenia ( /sloʊˈviːniə , slə-/ ( listen ) sloh-VEE-nee-ə ; Slovene : Slovenija [ slɔˈʋèːnija ] ) , officially the Republic of Slovenia ( Slovene : Republika Slovenija ( help·info ) , abbr . : RS ) , is a country located in Europe at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes . It is bordered by Italy to the west , Austria to the north , Hungary to the northeast , Croatia to the southeast , and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest . Slovenia covers 20,273 square kilometers ( 7,827 sq mi ) and has a population of 2.084 million . One of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia , Slovenia is now a parliamentary republic and member nation of the European Union , United Nations , and NATO . The capital and largest city is Ljubljana . Slovenia has a mostly mountainous terrain with a mainly continental climate , with the exception of the Slovene Littoral , which has a sub-Mediterranean climate , and of the Julian Alps in the northwest , which have an Alpine climate . Additionally , the Dinaric Alps and the Pannonian Plain meet on the territory of Slovenia . The country , marked by a significant biological diversity , is one of the most water-rich in Europe , with a dense river network , a rich aquifer system , and significant karst underground watercourses . Over half of the territory is covered by forest . The human settlement of Slovenia is dispersed and uneven . Slovenia has historically been the crossroads of Slavic , Germanic , and Romance languages and cultures .
Venezuela ( /ˌvɛnəˈzwɛlə/ ( listen ) ; American Spanish : [ beneˈswela ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( Spanish : República Bolivariana de Venezuela ) , is a country on the northern coast of South America , consisting of a continental landmass and many small islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea . It has a territorial extension of 916,445 km2 ( 353,841 sq mi ) . The continental territory is bordered on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean , on the west by Colombia , Brazil on the south , Trinidad and Tobago to the north-east and on the east by Guyana . The Venezuelan government maintains a claim against Guyana to Guayana Esequiba , an area of 159,542 km2 ( 61,600 sq mi ) . For its maritime areas , Venezuela exercises sovereignty over 71,295 km2 ( 27,527 sq mi ) of territorial waters , 22,224 km2 ( 8,581 sq mi ) in its contiguous zone , 471,507 km2 ( 182,050 sq mi ) of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean under the concept of exclusive economic zone , and 99,889 km2 ( 38,567 sq mi ) of continental shelf . This marine area borders those of 13 states . The capital and largest urban agglomeration is the city of Caracas . The country has extremely high biodiversity and is ranked seventh in the world 's list of nations with the most number of species . There are habitats ranging from the Andes Mountains in the west to the Amazon basin rain-forest in the south via extensive llanos plains , the Caribbean coast and the Orinoco River Delta in the east . The sovereign state is a federal presidential republic consisting of 23 states , the Capital District ( covering Caracas ) , and federal dependencies ( covering Venezuela 's offshore islands ) . Venezuela also claims all Guyanese territory west of the Essequibo River , a 159,500-square-kilometre ( 61,583 sq mi ) tract dubbed Guayana Esequiba or the Zona en Reclamación ( the zone under dispute ) . Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America ; the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north , especially in the capital ( Caracas ) which is also the largest city in Venezuela .
José Humberto Rujano Guillen ( born 18 February 1982 ) is a Venezuelan road bicycle racer who competed professionally between 2003 and 2013 , and currently rides for the Multi Repuestos Bosa amateur team .
Croatia ( /kroʊˈeɪʃə/ ( listen ) , kroh-AY-shə ; Croatian : Hrvatska , pronounced [ xř̩ʋaːtskaː ] ) , officially the Republic of Croatia ( Croatian : Republika Hrvatska , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ d ] is a country in Southeast Europe . It borders Slovenia to the northwest , Hungary to the northeast , Serbia to the east , Bosnia and Herzegovina , and Montenegro to the southeast , sharing a maritime border with Italy . Its capital , Zagreb , forms one of the country 's primary subdivisions , along with twenty counties . Croatia has an area of 56,594 square kilometres ( 21,851 square miles ) and a population of 4.28 million , most of whom are Roman Catholics . Croatia has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age . The Croats arrived in the area in the 6th century and organised the territory into two duchies by the 9th century . Croatia was first internationally recognized as an independent state on 7 June 879 during the reign of duke Branimir . Tomislav became the first king by 925 , elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom , which retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries . During the succession crisis after the Trpimirović dynasty ended , Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102 . In 1527 , faced with Ottoman conquest , the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne . In October 1918 , in the final days of World War I , the State of Slovenes , Croats and Serbs , independent from Austria-Hungary , was proclaimed in Zagreb , and in December 1918 it was merged into the Kingdom of Serbs , Croats and Slovenes ( renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929 ) . Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 , most of the Croatian territory was incorporated into a Nazi-backed client-state , the Independent State of Croatia .
The Czech Republic ( /ˈtʃɛk -/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česká republika [ ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpublɪka ] ( listen ) ) , also known by its short-form name , Czechia ( /ˈtʃɛkiə/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česko [ ˈtʃɛsko ] ( listen ) ) , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Poland to the northeast , Slovakia to the southeast , Austria to the south , and Germany to the west . The Czech Republic is a landlocked country with a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,866 square kilometers ( 30,450 sq mi ) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate . It is a unitary parliamentary republic , with 10.7 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Prague , with 1.3 million residents ; other major cities are Brno , Ostrava , Olomouc and Pilsen . The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia , Moravia , and Czech Silesia . The Czech state was formed in the late ninth century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire . In 1002 , the duchy was formally recognized as an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire along with the Kingdom of Germany , the Kingdom of Burgundy , the Kingdom of Italy ; and became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 , reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century . Prague was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th and 17th century . The Protestant Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century led to the Hussite Wars , the first of many conflicts with the Catholic Church . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy . The Protestant Bohemian Revolt ( 1618-20 ) against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years ' War . After the Battle of the White Mountain , the Habsburgs consolidated their rule , eradicated Protestantism , reimposed Catholicism , and adopted a policy of gradual Germanization .