Alexandr Kolobnev

Alexandr Vasilievich Kolobnev (Александр Васильевич Колобнев;^[2] born 4 May 1981) is a Russian former professional road bicycle racer.^[3] His major victories include winning the 2007 Monte Paschi Eroica, a stage of the 2007 Paris–Nice and he is a two-time winner of the Russian National Road Race Championships. In 2011, he was provisionally suspended after testing positive for a potential drug masking agent.^[4][5] He was cleared of intentional doping by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February 2012,^[6] and returned to Team Katusha in March 2012.^[3]

Alexandr Kolobnev

Kolobnev in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Alexandr Vasilievich Kolobnev
Born	(1981-05-04) 4 May 1981 (age 43) Vyksa, Soviet Union
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	64 kg (141 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Classics specialist[1]
Professional teams
2002	Acqua & Sapone–Cantina Tollo
2003–2004	Domina Vacanze–Elitron
2005–2006	Rabobank
2007–2009	Team CSC
2010–2015	Team Katusha
2016	Gazprom–RusVelo
Major wins
One-day races and Classics National Road Race Championships (2004, 2010) Monte Paschi Eroica (2007)
Medal record Representing  Russia Men's road bicycle racing Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Men's road race World Championships 2007 Stuttgart Men's road race 2009 Mendrisio Men's road race

Career

Born in Vyksa, Russian SFSR, Kolobnev spent his neo-pro year in 2002 with Acqua & Sapone–Cantina Tollo. His second season saw him sign with Domina Vacanze–Elitron. There, he took his first victory in Stage 2 of the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali. He stayed with Domina Vacanze through the 2004 season and signed with UCI ProTeam Rabobank for 2005. With Rabobank he managed to capture Stage 1 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in 2006.

In 2007 he transferred to Team CSC. He won the third stage of Paris–Nice, became the inaugural winner of the Monte Paschi Eroica, now known as Strade Bianche,^[7] and finished second at the UCI Road World Championships. Kolobnev finished fourth in the road race at the 2008 Olympic Games. Second-place finisher Davide Rebellin later tested positive for Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA), causing the IOC to strip him of his silver medal. Kolobnev was promoted to third in the race's standings by the UCI. However, he was not awarded the bronze medal until 2011.^[8][9]

Controversies

Exonerated doping test

In the 2011 Tour de France he tested positive for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide, a masking agent that can hide the presence of performance-enhancing drugs. He was subsequently pulled from the tour by his team,^[10][11] and his results for that stage were annulled.^[12] Despite his B sample also testing positive he only received a fine from the Russian cycling federation.^[13] However this was later appealed by the UCI to CAS, although he was subsequently cleared of any charges on 29 February 2012.^[14] Kolobnev rejoined Team Katusha in March 2012.^[3]

Acquitted on case 2010 Liège–Bastogne–Liège

In 2012, the Union Cycliste Internationale initiated an investigation of Kolobnev and the Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov over allegations brought by the Swiss news magazine L'lllustre and Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. They accused Vinokourov of cutting a deal with Kolobnev in 2010 to aid Vinokourov in winning Liège–Bastogne–Liège, alleging €150,000 exchanged hands.^[15] On 12 September 2019, prosecutors requested a six-month jail sentence for Kolobnev and Vinokourov, with an additional fine of €50,000 for Kolobnev, as well as €150,000 to be confiscated from his bank account.^[16] Kolobnev and Vinokourov were cleared on 5 November 2019, with the judge citing a "lack of concrete evidence" for the court's decision.^[17]

Personal life

He lives in Dénia, Spain, with his wife Daria and two sons and one daughter, David, Alexander and Aprelia. He opened a hotel in Dénia which had several altitude simulation rooms, a permitted method to increase athletic performance.^[18]

Major results

1999

1st Overall Giro della Lunigiana

2001

1st Gran Premio di Poggiana

4th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships

4th Gran Premio Industrie del Marmo

2002

9th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano

2003 (1 pro win)

2nd Gran Premio di Lugano

2nd Giro dell'Emilia

4th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali

1st Stage 2

4th Coppa Sabatini

5th La Flèche Wallonne

6th Trofeo Città di Castelfidardo

2004 (1)

1st Road race, National Road Championships

1st Young rider classification, Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali

2nd Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie

7th Overall Brixia Tour

8th Gran Premio di Lugano

8th Trofeo Matteotti

10th Road race, Olympic Games

2005

2nd Overall Niedersachsen Rundfahrt

7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

8th Overall Danmark Rundt

2006 (1)

4th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

1st Stage 1

5th Overall Tour de Pologne

7th Overall Sachsen Tour

9th Rund um den Henninger Turm

2007 (2)

1st Monte Paschi Eroica

1st Stage 3 Paris–Nice

1st Stage 2 (TTT) Deutschland Tour

2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships

5th Overall Tour de Wallonie

9th Giro dell'Emilia

2008

2nd Clásica de San Sebastián

3rd Road race, Olympic Games

3rd Giro dell'Emilia

5th Klasika Primavera

5th Coppa Sabatini

6th Overall Tour de Wallonie

2009

2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships

2nd GP Miguel Induráin

3rd Overall Tour de Wallonie

3rd Giro di Lombardia

4th Overall Tour of Ireland

6th Amstel Gold Race

7th Giro dell'Emilia

9th Overall Tour of Slovenia

9th Clásica de Almería

9th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

2010 (1)

1st Road race, National Road Championships

2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège

3rd GP Miguel Induráin

4th Giro dell'Emilia

7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

2011

2nd GP Miguel Induráin

5th Road race, National Road Championships

5th Amstel Gold Race

2012

2nd Road race, National Road Championships

3rd Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal

4th Overall Tour de Pologne

5th Grand Prix of Aargau Canton

9th Trofeo Melinda

2013 (1)

3rd Overall Tour de Wallonie

1st Stage 1

3rd Tre Valli Varesine

7th Strade Bianche

9th Coppa Ugo Agostoni

2014

7th GP Miguel Induráin

10th Grand Prix of Aargau Canton

2016

1st Mountains classification, Volta ao Algarve

10th Overall Giro di Toscana

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Giro d'Italia	21	71	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	73
Tour de France	—	—	—	—	—	65	DNF	—	—	—	—	—
Vuelta a España	54	—	51	40	31	29	—	—	—	40	—	—

Classics results timeline

Monument	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Milan–San Remo	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	46	51	—	—	DNF	73	—
Tour of Flanders	—	—	94	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Paris–Roubaix	Did not contest during his career
Liège–Bastogne–Liège	—	44	39	—	60	45	44	9	2	11	—	75	33	—	—
Giro di Lombardia	—	56	DNF	—	23	11	13	3	DNF	—	14	DNF	13	—	DNF
Classic	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Strade Bianche	Race did not exist					1	—	—	—	—	—	7	74	—	—
Amstel Gold Race	DNF	51	64	—	—	53	36	6	21	5	—	19	19	—	—
La Flèche Wallonne	—	5	59	—	29	53	DNF	21	74	81	—	96	48	—	—
Clásica de San Sebastián	—	61	101	33	19	DNF	2	15	45	—	—	21	11	—	—
Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec	Race did not exist								—	—	38	22	—	—	—
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal									—	—	3	30	—	—	—
Giro dell'Emilia	—	2	11	—	12	9	3	7	4	—	—	—	—	—	DNF

Major championship results timeline

	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Olympic Games	Not held		10	Not held			3	Not held			24	Not held			—
World Championships	153	49	DNF	7	26	2	44	2	7	—	28	DNF	46	—	—
National Championships	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	1	5	2	8	9	—	DNF

Legend

—	Did not compete
DNF	Did not finish

References

1. "Alexander Kolobnev". Team Katusha. Katusha Management SA. Archived from the original on June 27, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
2. 1 (Sovetsky Sport), 2
3. "Alexander Kolobnev joins Katusha Team". Team Katusha. Katusha Management SA. March 28, 2012. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
4. "Tour de France – First rider fails dope test, sacked". Eurosport. Yahoo!. Reuters. July 11, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
5. "Alexandr Kolobnev signs for Team Katusha". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
6. Nigel Wynn (March 2012). "Alexandr Kolobnev cleared of doping by CAS | Latest News". Cycling Weekly.
7. Brown, Gregor. "Kolobnev becomes the first to conquer Eroica". Cycling News. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
8. Kolobnev Still Waiting For Olympic Bronze | Cyclingnews.com
9. "Alexander Kolobnev to receive Olympic medal". velo.outsideonline.com. January 26, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
10. "Press release: Adverse Analytical Finding for Kolobnev". Union Cycliste Internationale. July 11, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
11. "Kolobnev Tour de France's first doping case". Cycling News. Bath, UK: Future Publishing Limited. July 11, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
12. "Sanctions, Period of Ineligibily, Disqualification". UCI. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
13. "Kolobnev Not With Katusha In 2012". Cyclingnews.com. December 19, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
14. BBC Sport – Alexandr Kolobnev escapes doping ban but fined £1,040
15. "Vinokourov summoned to UCI regarding his Liege-Bastogne-Liege victory". Tengrinews.kz English. November 6, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
16. "Vinokourov and Kolobnev risk six-month jail sentence for alleged Liège–Bastogne–Liège 'bribery'". cyclingnews.com. September 12, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
17. "Vinokourov and Kolobnev cleared of selling 2010 Liège-Bastogne-Liège". cyclingnews.com. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
18. Fletcher, Patrick (January 21, 2022). "Campenaerts and Vermeersch check into Kolobnev's altitude hotel". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.

External links

• Alexandr Kolobnev at UCI
• Alexandr Kolobnev at ProCyclingStats
• Alexandr Kolobnev at trap-friis.dk
• Palmares on CyclingBase.com