Alexandr Kolobnev

{{short description|Russian road bicycle racer}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2012}}

{{Infobox cyclist

| name = Alexandr Kolobnev

| image = Alexandr Kolobnev.jpg

| caption = Kolobnev in 2011

| fullname = Alexandr Vasilievich Kolobnev

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1981|5|4}}

| birth_place = Vyksa, Soviet Union

| height = {{height|m=1.74|precision=0}}

| weight = {{convert|64|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| currentteam = Retired

| discipline = Road

| role = Rider

| ridertype = Classics specialist{{cite web|url=http://www.katushateam.com/the-pro-team/alexander-kolobnev/ |title=Alexander Kolobnev |work={{UCI team code|KAT|2013}} |publisher=Katusha Management SA |access-date=23 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627192047/http://www.katushateam.com/the-pro-team/alexander-kolobnev/ |archive-date=June 27, 2013 }}

| proyears1 = 2002

| proteam1 = {{UCI team code|CTA|2002}}

| proyears2 = 2003–2004

| proteam2 = Domina Vacanze–Elitron

| proyears3 = 2005–2006

| proteam3 = {{UCI team code|RAB|2005}}

| proyears4 = 2007–2009

| proteam4 = {{UCI team code|SAX|2007}}

| proyears5 = 2010–2015

| proteam5 = {{UCI team code|KAT|2010}}

| proyears6 = 2016

| proteam6 = {{UCI team code|GAZ|2016}}

| majorwins = One-day races and Classics

:{{nowrap|National Road Race Championships (2004, 2010)}}

:Monte Paschi Eroica (2007)

| show-medals = no

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry| {{flagu|Russia}} }}

{{MedalSport| Men's road bicycle racing }}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalBronze | 2008 Beijing| Men's road race}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}

{{MedalSilver |2007 Stuttgart|Men's road race}}

{{MedalSilver |2009 Mendrisio|Men's road race}}

}}

Alexandr Vasilievich Kolobnev ({{lang|ru|Александр Васильевич Колобнев}};[https://web.archive.org/web/20130622031710/http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/518199 1] (Sovetsky Sport), [http://www.minsport.gov.ru/documents/awards/463/ 2] born 4 May 1981) is a Russian former professional road bicycle racer.{{cite news|url=http://www.katushateam.com/2012/eng/main.php?mod=news&m=03&n=1435 |title=Alexander Kolobnev joins Katusha Team |date=28 March 2012 |access-date=28 March 2012 |work={{UCI team code|KAT|2012}} |publisher=Katusha Management SA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326140606/http://www.katushateam.com/2012/eng/main.php?mod=news |archive-date=March 26, 2012 |df=mdy }} 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.{{cite news|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12072011/58/tour-de-france-first-rider-fails-dope-test-sacked.html |title=Tour de France – First rider fails dope test, sacked |newspaper=Eurosport |publisher=Yahoo! |agency=Reuters |date=11 July 2011 |access-date=2011-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715031855/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12072011/58/tour-de-france-first-rider-fails-dope-test-sacked.html |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.katushateam.com/index.php?p=press-dettaglio&id=179 |title=Alexandr Kolobnev signs for Team Katusha |access-date=December 13, 2009 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402205412/http://www.katushateam.com/index.php?p=press-dettaglio&id=179 |url-status=dead }} He was cleared of intentional doping by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February 2012,{{cite web|author=Nigel Wynn |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/531962/kolobnev-cleared-of-doping-by-cas.html |title=Alexandr Kolobnev cleared of doping by CAS | Latest News |date=March 2012 |publisher=Cycling Weekly }} and returned to {{UCI team code|KAT|2012|nolink=yes}} in March 2012.

Career

Born in Vyksa, Russian SFSR, Kolobnev spent his neo-pro year in 2002 with {{UCI team code|CTA|2002}}. 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 {{UCI team code|RAB|2005}} for 2005. With Rabobank he managed to capture Stage 1 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in 2006.

In 2007 he transferred to {{UCI team code|SAX|2007}}. He won the third stage of Paris–Nice, became the inaugural winner of the Monte Paschi Eroica, now known as Strade Bianche,{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Gregor|title=Kolobnev becomes the first to conquer Eroica|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/protour_oct07.php?id=road/2007/oct07/eroica07|website=Cycling News|access-date=29 November 2015}} 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.[http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kolobnev-still-waiting-for-olympic-bronze Kolobnev Still Waiting For Olympic Bronze | Cyclingnews.com]{{cite web |title=Alexander Kolobnev to receive Olympic medal |url=https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/alexander-kolobnev-to-receive-olympic-medal/ |website=velo.outsideonline.com |access-date=9 August 2023 |date=26 January 2011}}

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,{{cite web|url=http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=NzQ1OQ&MenuId=MTYxNw&LangId=1&BackLink=%2FTemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI5%2Flayout.asp%3FMenuID%3DMTYxNw%26LangId%3D1 |title=Press release: Adverse Analytical Finding for Kolobnev |publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale |date=11 July 2011 |access-date=2011-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715210112/http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=NzQ1OQ&MenuId=MTYxNw&LangId=1&BackLink=%2FTemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI5%2Flayout.asp%3FMenuID%3DMTYxNw%26LangId%3D1 |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kolobnev-tour-de-frances-first-doping-case |title=Kolobnev Tour de France's first doping case |newspaper=Cycling News |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |location=Bath, UK |date=11 July 2011 |access-date=2011-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714051537/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kolobnev-tour-de-frances-first-doping-case |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }} and his results for that stage were annulled.{{cite web|url=http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/getObject.asp?MenuId=MTU3Mjg&ObjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NjY5MTE&LangId=1 |title=Sanctions, Period of Ineligibily, Disqualification |publisher=UCI |access-date=11 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102134214/http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/getObject.asp?MenuId=MTU3Mjg&ObjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NjY5MTE&LangId=1 |archive-date=November 2, 2013 }} Despite his B sample also testing positive he only received a fine from the Russian cycling federation.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kolobnev-not-with-katusha-in-2012 |title=Kolobnev Not With Katusha In 2012 |date=December 19, 2011 |publisher=Cyclingnews.com |access-date=2011-12-20}} However this was later appealed by the UCI to CAS, although he was subsequently cleared of any charges on 29 February 2012.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/17221960 BBC Sport – Alexandr Kolobnev escapes doping ban but fined £1,040] Kolobnev rejoined {{UCI team code|KAT|2012}} in March 2012.

=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.{{cite news|url=http://en.tengrinews.kz/sport/Vinokourov-summoned-to-UCI-regarding-his-Liege-Bastogne-Liege-victory-14270/|title=Vinokourov summoned to UCI regarding his Liege-Bastogne-Liege victory|work=Tengrinews.kz English|date=6 November 2012|access-date=13 January 2013}} 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.{{cite web |title=Vinokourov and Kolobnev risk six-month jail sentence for alleged Liège–Bastogne–Liège 'bribery' |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vinokourov-and-kolobnev-risk-six-month-jail-sentence-for-alleged-liege-bastogne-liege-bribery/ |website=cyclingnews.com |access-date=16 September 2019 |date=12 September 2019}} Kolobnev and Vinokourov were cleared on 5 November 2019, with the judge citing a "lack of concrete evidence" for the court's decision.{{cite web |title=Vinokourov and Kolobnev cleared of selling 2010 Liège-Bastogne-Liège |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vinokourov-and-kolobnev-cleared-of-selling-2010-liege-bastogne-liege/ |website=cyclingnews.com |access-date=5 November 2019 |date=5 November 2019}}

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.{{Cite web|last=Fletcher|first=Patrick|date=2022-01-21|title=Campenaerts and Vermeersch check into Kolobnev's altitude hotel|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/campenaerts-and-vermeersch-check-into-kolobnevs-altitude-hotel/|access-date=2022-01-24|website=cyclingnews.com}}

Major results

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

;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 20px Road race, National Road Championships

: 1st 20px 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 15px Road race, UCI Road World Championships

: 5th Overall Tour de Wallonie

: 9th Giro dell'Emilia

;2008

: 2nd Clásica de San Sebastián

: 3rd 15px Road race, Olympic Games

: 3rd Giro dell'Emilia

: 5th Klasika Primavera

: 5th Coppa Sabatini

: 6th Overall Tour de Wallonie

;2009

: 2nd 15px 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 20px 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 20px Mountains classification, Volta ao Algarve

: 10th Overall Giro di Toscana

{{div col end}}

=Grand Tour general classification results timeline=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col" | Grand Tour

! scope="col" | 2005

! scope="col" | 2006

! scope="col" | 2007

! scope="col" | 2008

! scope="col" | 2009

! scope="col" | 2010

! scope="col" | 2011

! scope="col" | 2012

! scope="col" | 2013

! scope="col" | 2014

! scope="col" | 2015

! scope="col" | 2016

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | File:Jersey pink.svg Giro d'Italia

| 21

| 71

| DNF

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| 73

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | File:Jersey yellow.svg Tour de France

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| 65

| DNF

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | File:Jersey red.svg Vuelta a España

| 54

| —

| 51

| 40

| 31

| 29

| —

| —

| —

| 40

| —

| —

=Classics results timeline=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Monument

! scope="col" | 2002

! scope="col" | 2003

! scope="col" | 2004

! scope="col" | 2005

! scope="col" | 2006

! scope="col" | 2007

! scope="col" | 2008

! scope="col" | 2009

! scope="col" | 2010

! scope="col" | 2011

! scope="col" | 2012

! scope="col" | 2013

! scope="col" | 2014

! scope="col" | 2015

! scope="col" | 2016

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Milan–San Remo

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| 46

| 51

| —

| —

| DNF

| 73

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Tour of Flanders

| —

| —

| 94

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Paris–Roubaix

| style="color:#4d4d4d;" colspan=16|Did not contest during his career

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Liège–Bastogne–Liège

| —

| 44

| 39

| —

| 60

| 45

| 44

| style="background:#ddf;" |9

| style="background:silver;" |2

| 11

| —

| 75

| 33

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Giro di Lombardia

| —

| 56

| DNF

| —

| 23

| 11

| 13

| style="background:#C9AE5D;"|3

| DNF

| —

| 14

| DNF

| 13

| —

| DNF

Classic

! scope="col" | 2002

! scope="col" | 2003

! scope="col" | 2004

! scope="col" | 2005

! scope="col" | 2006

! scope="col" | 2007

! scope="col" | 2008

! scope="col" | 2009

! scope="col" | 2010

! scope="col" | 2011

! scope="col" | 2012

! scope="col" | 2013

! scope="col" | 2014

! scope="col" | 2015

! scope="col" | 2016

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Strade Bianche

|style="color:#4d4d4d;" colspan=5| Race did not exist

| style="background:gold;" |1

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| style="background:#ddf;" |7

| 74

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Amstel Gold Race

| DNF

| 51

| 64

| —

| —

| 53

| 36

| style="background:#ddf;" |6

| 21

| style="background:#ddf;" |5

| —

| 19

| 19

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | La Flèche Wallonne

| —

| style="background:#ddf;" |5

| 59

| —

| 29

| 53

| DNF

| 21

| 74

| 81

| —

| 96

| 48

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Clásica de San Sebastián

| —

| 61

| 101

| 33

| 19

| DNF

| style="background:silver;" |2

| 15

| 45

| —

| —

| 21

| 11

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

| style="color:#4d4d4d;" colspan=8 rowspan=2 |Race did not exist

| —

| —

| 38

| 22

| —

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal

| —

| —

| style="background:#C9AE5D;"|3

| 30

| —

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | Giro dell'Emilia

| —

| style="background:silver;" |2

| 11

| —

| 12

| style="background:#ddf;" |9

| style="background:#C9AE5D;"|3

| style="background:#ddf;" |7

| style="background:#ddf;" |4

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| DNF

=Major championship results timeline=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" | 2002

! scope="col" | 2003

! scope="col" | 2004

! scope="col" | 2005

! scope="col" | 2006

! scope="col" | 2007

! scope="col" | 2008

! scope="col" | 2009

! scope="col" | 2010

! scope="col" | 2011

! scope="col" | 2012

! scope="col" | 2013

! scope="col" | 2014

! scope="col" | 2015

! scope="col" | 2016

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | File:Gold medal olympic.svg Olympic Games

| style="color:#4d4d4d;" colspan=2|Not held

| style="background:#ddf;" |10

| style="color:#4d4d4d;" colspan=3|Not held

| style="background:#C9AE5D;"|3

| style="color:#4d4d4d;" colspan=3|Not held

| 24

| style="color:#4d4d4d;" colspan=3|Not held

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | File:Jersey rainbow.svg World Championships

| 153

| 49

| DNF

| style="background:#ddf;" |7

| 26

| style="background:silver;" |2

| 44

| style="background:silver;" |2

| style="background:#ddf;" |7

| —

| 28

| DNF

| 46

| —

| —

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" | File:MaillotRusia.PNG National Championships

| —

| —

| style="background:gold;" |1

| —

| —

| —

| —

| —

| style="background:gold;" |1

| style="background:#ddf;" |5

| style="background:silver;" |2

| style="background:#ddf;" |8

| style="background:#ddf;" |9

| —

| DNF

class="wikitable"

|+ Legend

scope="row" | —

| Did not compete

scope="row" | DNF

| Did not finish

References

{{reflist|30em}}